Nazri explained that the former premier’s year-long campaign to oust Najib had angered the Umno president’s supporters, who felt Mukhriz had shortcomings of his own as a leader.

“If Mukhriz had been a good leader it would have been difficult to drop him but his weaknesses were taken advantage of by Najib’s supporters who wanted Mukhriz removed as an act of revenge against Mahathir,” he said when asked to comment on Mahathir’s call to the people to put aside their political differences and act as citizens to show their concern for what was happening in the country.

Nazri said the call reflected the statesman’s frustrations and added, “Mukhriz is a political failure as he was dropped and this is embarrassing for Mahathir.”

“Mahathir is frustrated because there was no traction from Mukhriz’s removal, there was no mass demonstration and this was why he made his call,” he said after launching Istana Budaya’s 2016 calendar of events.

Earlier this month, Ahmad Bashah replaced Mukhriz, some two weeks after he and 14 other Kedah Umno chiefs called on Najib to have their menteri besar replaced for failing to manage the state efficiently.

When asked to comment on calls for Mahathir to declare his assets, Nazri said the only reply he wanted to make on the subject was: “Hahaha.”

Earlier this week, Ramesh Rao, president of the pro-government NGO, Pertubuhan Minda dan Sosial Prihatin (PMSP), urged Mahathir to declare his assets.

When asked to comment on Mahathir being questioned by the police over a recent blog posting about the AG, Nazri said nobody was above the law and added, “But to me, let him do what he wants, he himself said he is old and he is.”

Nazri also said that what Mahathir was experiencing now was karma for his own betrayal of the country’s founding prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman.

He explained that years ago, Mahathir not only incited the Malays to despise Tunku, he also portrayed him as being pro-Chinese when in truth, Tunku was a true leader of all Malaysians and a leader who cared for all races.