Mahathir said it was illogical for Anwar to now assert that he had abused his power as prime minister between July 1981 and October 2003 by sanctioning bailouts when the latter had himself denied allegations of such abuse 25 years ago.

“Based on this revelation, it clearly shows that the defendant (Anwar) has the traits of a pathological liar for taking a different stand before and now,” said Mahathir in reply to a defence statement Anwar filed last month.

Mahathir, 97, filed a RM150 million suit in May against Anwar over statements calling Mahathir a racist and saying he had enriched his family while in office.

In a reply filed by solicitors Law Practice of Rafique yesterday and sighted by FMT, Mahathir pointed out that Anwar had defended him within and outside Parliament over several allegations that he had sanctioned bailouts.

Among them was a buyout of Konsortium Perkapalan Bhd (KPB), then owned by Mahathir’s son Mirzan, by Petronas and Malaysia International Shipping Corporation (MISC). KPB (now known as Pos Logistics Bhd) was one of the local companies affected by the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.

Anwar was Mahathir’s deputy from 1993 to 1998 and finance minister from 1991 to 1998.

He was sacked from the government and Umno in 1998 for alleged sexual misconduct for which he was convicted and spent six years in jail. The Federal Court eventually cleared him of the charge in 2004.

Mahathir also said that since 1998, Anwar had been building a perception among the public that he had proof that Mahathir had abused his power but failed to back his claim. This includes Anwar’s claim earlier this year, which is the subject matter of the defamation suit.

He said his lawyers wrote to Anwar’s solicitors two weeks ago asking to be furnished with 21 documents referred to in Anwar’s defence, but claimed the request was refused on flimsy grounds.

“His defence did not reveal that I enriched myself,’ Mahathir said, adding that the relief sought in his suit should be allowed.