Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad moved swiftly against predecessor Najib Razak just days after his shock election win, banning him from leaving the country and planning to reopen a probe into a multi-billion dollar scandal at a state fund that Najib helped set up.
Even as a chastened Najib said he would support a smooth transition of power and relinquished his dual roles as chief of his party and the broader Barisan Nasional coalition, Mahathir made clear he wouldn’t be lenient after a bitter and intensely personal election campaign.
Mahathir, who was prime minister from 1981 to 2003 and defected