Dr Mahathir cynically said he welcomed the investigation by the police and hoped the case would not be dropped eventually.

"I hope I will be charged in a court of law so that I would have the opportunity to defend myself and expose whatever things I need to say.

"But if the investigation eventually shows that there is no case against me, then ‘susah la’ (it is difficult). I ask that there will be a case against me. I do not want to be released later as others will talk behind my back that I was lobbying for my own release," he said during a Q&A session at a post-election Umno forum organised by Badan-badan Bertindak Gabungan Ahli-ahli Umno Akar Umbi Johor in Johor Baru today.

Q: What would you do if you were allowed to become PM again for 100 days?

Dr M: The first thing I will do is get rid of Pak Lah. When I chose him over Najib, they told me he is Mr Nice and Mr Clean and all that. Only now we know what kind of a person he really is. So, the first thing I will do is fire him. Once I have done that, the rest is easy. No need to elaborate.

JOHOR BARU, May 17 ─ Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad continued his attacks on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, telling him to be a Malay gentleman by stepping down from his post following the March 8 political tsunami.

The former Prime Minister said he was ready to offer 100 tips on how Umno and the people could get Abdullah to quit.

"But I will not tell you all today but only one or two.

“If you were to see him, just tell him point blank: ‘Turun la awak, awak yang hancurkan parti’ (You better step down, you are the one who ruined the party).

This would be the best way to restore the independence and integrity of the judiciary and uphold the rule of law, said Lim.

He was commenting on the findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the V.K. Lingam video clip, which held there was evidence that Eusoff, Ahmad Fairuz, lawyer Datuk V.K. Lingam, tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad may have been involved in a conspiracy to manipulate the appointment of judges.

He said the rich Singaporeans would eventually displace the Malays who would then have to move to the “fringes of the forest or even the forest itself.”

"Eventually, Iskandar will be filled with all sorts of people, except the Malays who will become a minority, just like the Malays in Singapore.

"Without land, how are we going to claim our sovereignty?" he asked at a post-election Umno forum organised by the Badan-badan Bertindak Gabungan Ahli-Ahli Umno Akar Umbi Johor in Johor Baru today.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak is a man of a few words. Government officials say that during briefings, he rarely dominates the conversation, preferring instead to listen to different views before arriving at a decision.

The Deputy Prime Minister had to put his listening skills to good use on Sunday during a two-hour session with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad at his official residence in Putrajaya. Both men have not divulged the details of the conversation but The Malaysian Insider has learnt from those who are familiar with the meeting that the former prime minister spent some time criticising Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his reliance on family members, notably Khairy Jamaluddin.

Dr Mahathir’s animosity with the son-in-law goes back to 2004. He blames the Oxford graduate for spreading the word that the former PM busted the budget for the Eighth Malaysia Plan and left the government coffers empty.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — The Election Commission (EC) should undergo a review whereby it would receive more power to strengthen its capability during elections.

EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman believes that a review is urgently required because the EC needs to have the power to put in place a completely new set of electoral roll which is acceptable to all.

"We feel that there must be new laws making it easier for us to introduce or prepare electoral rolls before each election. A roll that is not subject to question nor controversy. I wouldn't want to say major or minor, but there must be a committee to look into the whole law.

"(It is) to study what the EC actually requires in order to put the commission in a position of strength. A position where you can really determine the proper conduct of elections. We need to review all the laws and not just one.