Don't insult country with 'Darul Penyangak' name-calling: Salleh

KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad calling Malaysia 'Darul Penyangak' (Rogue's Abode) has been chided as an insult to the nation itself.
Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak said it was very inappropriate to give the country that name as it was unpatriotic and bereft of political wisdom.
"Even if angry with the government of the day, Dr Mahathir should not insult his own country. This country is ours together.
"Good or bad, progressing or regressing, we should all be together in defending it, not insulting it," Salleh said in his latest posting on his blog, today.
His comments came after Dr Mahathir's remarks on the latter's own blog where he called Malaysia 'Darul Penyangak' over the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) issue and the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

The minister said that Dr Mahathir actually kept repeating the 1MDB and GST issues in every written piece and speech solely for the people to hate Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak and to topple the prime minister.
"Dr Mahathir's strategy is like attacking a snake, that is, by knocking its head repeatedly until it becomes weak and immobilised. That's all Dr Mahathir wants, to bring down Najib. This is grudge politics which is not good," he said.
Salleh said Najib had actually explained in detail, with facts about 1MDB and had also explained the rationale for the implementation of GST.
"Dr Mahathir is definitely not hearing and accepting any of the explanations as his goal is to topple PM Najib because of political grudge, not for the sake of the country," he added. — Bernama