Malaysia’s prime minister Najib Razak has come under attack from one of his predecessors, Mahathir Mohamad, who has argued that the incumbent does not have what it takes to secure victory in the next general election.
The development comes as Mr Najib, a moderate technocrat, has survived repeated attempts to undermine his position from within his United Malays National Organisation (Umno), since the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition won the most parliamentary seats in the last election in 2013.
Foreign investors are closely watching the position of Mr Najib, who has successfully pushed through much-needed fiscal reforms including the implementation this week of Malaysia’s first general sales tax, at 6 per cent.