KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 — Former MCA president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik became the latest Barisan Nasional (BN) veteran today to voice criticism against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak over the latter’s management of the controversies surrounding 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

News portal Malaysiakini reported Dr Ling echoing his former Cabinet colleague Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in calling for Najib’s removal as prime minister.

“I agree with Mahathir. Because he has taken people’s money and put it in his own personal accounts,” Dr Ling was quoted as telling reporters after attending an event at Tunku Abdul Rahman University College here.

According to the report, the MCA man was asked if he agreed with Dr Mahathir’s demand for Najib to resign from office.

The 72-year-old also spoke out about his participation in the Perth edition of the Bersih 4 rally last August, organised by electoral reform group Bersih 2.0 to push for Najib’s resignation from office.

“I attended the Bersih 4 rally in Perth, Australia to support a vote of no confidence against Najib, as he had taken people’s money and put it into his personal accounts. I feel that should not happen,” the MCA president from September 1986 to May 2003 was reported saying.

Najib has been implicated in corruption investigations into 1MDB after US-based Wall Street Journal reported in July some US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) was funnelled through several government entities into the prime minister’s personal bank accounts two months before the tumultuous May 5, 2013 general elections.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has since announced that the money deposited into Najib’s accounts was a donation from a Middle Eastern source.

The prime minister has also denied using any public money, including from 1MDB for personal benefit, though questions have mounted over the source and purpose of the funds.

Dr Mahathir has been among the most vocal critics against 1MBD in the BN and have demanded Najib take responsibility for his brainchild, which is under corruption investigation by government agencies in several countries, including Hong Kong, Switzerland and the UK.

The 90-year-old retired prime minister had also joined in the two-day Bersih 4 rally in Kuala Lumpur, and urged Malaysians to use their “people power” to push for Najib’s removal through a no-confidence vote in Parliament.

Among other things, Dr Mahathir claimed Najib had undermined the country’s legal system and institutions.