KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has reminded Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that today is the last day for the latter to apologise and withdraw claims that he had enriched his family during his time at the helm of the nation.
Should Anwar fail to do so, the former prime minister said he would initiate legal action against the former.
"This is the last day for Datuk Seri Anwar and his lawyers to answer the letter (of demand) from my lawyers... if not, I will instruct my lawyers to proceed with legal action.
"Apart from that, I was informed that Anwar, after being given the letter from my lawyer, when he was in a dialogue session with university students, said that he did not want to fight with me.
"This is quite strange. He has been falsely accusing me of all sorts of things for decades. Even then, when asked to provide proof, not a single piece of proof has been shown, even though I hear he has boxes of evidence in his possession," he said on social media postings.
Dr Mahathir said, despite all Anwar's claims, he had decided not to take action before as he took such things as the actions of a man who was desperate to become prime minister.
"However, now when he has already become prime minister, he continues to make false accusations. That is why I asked him to retract his statement (and apologise) and if he doesn't then I would take legal action.
"That is what I did. So, who's spoiling for a fight then?"
Last month, Anwar had claimed that Dr Mahathir's family members had become rich while he had been prime minister for 22 years under Barisan Nasional.
Dr Mahathir had then issued a letter of demand for Anwar to retract his statement and apologise.