KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has vowed to fight corruption for as long as he can.
Such abuse, he said, has already destroyed the country and affected the people's income.
The former prime minister pledged to stop "robbers" from running the country because if Umno is allowed to govern, corruption will remain rampant and the public will have bear the burden of debt.
"Umno is participating in the elections to free robbers and to avert other robbers from being subjected to legal action.
"Voters don't want to hear about corruption. They want to hear about bread and butter issues.
"But rampant corruption in the country has and will continue to disrupt their rice bowl," he said in a video last night.
The incumbent Langkawi member of parliament said the country was already embroiled in several financial controversies, from the mounting debts of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), undelivered Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) to the procurement of the Self-Propelled Howitzer. (SPH)
Dr Mahathir said there was already a RM32 billion debt stemming from the 1MDB scandal with an annual interest of RM1.7 billion. The principal debt had yet to be paid.
While the 1MDB debt was unresolved, Dr Mahathir said the LCS issue saw RM6 billion settled but no ship in sight.
"Now we are hearing that some parties in the government, led by caretaker Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob want profit for themselves in the SPH project involving RM854 million.
"This scandal was exposed when a letter with a directive from Ismail Sabri to caretaker Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz surfaced and it was to award a direct negotiation contract to a company of less than two years old.
"The initial limited tender was cancelled to allow the selected company a direct negotiation tender offer," said Dr Mahathir.
Dr Mahathir expressed regret that billions of ringgit from the government coffers could have been used to assist the people, award scholarships and to build infrastructure but were all gone because of corruption.
He said the country may not now feel the effect of high national debt in terms of rising expenses as well as the costs of doing business and construction materials and others.
"But the value of money in the hands of the people will depreciate and the purchasing power will shrink and continue to shrink.
"By then, the joke that a sack of money is not enough to buy a bushel of rice will not be a laughing matter anymore.
"If it's not enough that the cost of living has increased, (the question of) halal and haram are also not cared about by corrupted people like the recent case of the meat cartel.
"That is why I will continue to fight corruption and to block these robbers from returning to power.
"As long as I have life and strength, I will not let robbers destroy the country without a fight," said Dr Mahathir.