PETALING JAYA, Jan 22 — Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said today Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad "shouldn’t be panicking” after his eldest son and businessman Mirzan was told to declare his wealth.

Speaking to Malay Mail, he said the former prime minister should not act like "a man on the run” and should not be afraid if he is free of any alleged wrongdoing.

"I don’t think he should be panicking as if he’s like a man on the run,” the minister said after a meeting with Malay Mail here, referring to the Netflix documentary with the same title about the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal.

"If nothing’s wrong, I don’t think he should be afraid. If I [was the subject of the probe and am innocent] I wouldn’t be, I don’t think there’s personal malice.”

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) last Thursday said it had directed Mirzan to declare his wealth, and that the businessman was summoned to the agency’s headquarters in Putrajaya on Wednesday under Section 36(1) (b) of the MACC Act 2009.

The provision empowers the agency to compel anyone with suspicious wealth to declare their assets, whether or not they are in his possession 30 days from the date of the notice.

Earlier this evening, Dr Mahathir held a press conference where he suggested his son had been the subject of political vengeance by the Anwar government, who has also launched a probe on former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, one of Dr Mahathir’s closest allies.

The two-time former prime minister had also challenged Anwar to hold snap polls as he launched a tirade of allegations that included calling Anwar an illegitimate prime minister, and that Anwar’s return to politics through the Port Dickson by-election win was aided by him and Daim.

Dr Mahathir then dared him to hold a snap poll to prove he holds popular support.

Anwar currently holds the support of 152 out of the 222 MPs in Dewan Rakyat, guaranteeing him a super-majority of two-thirds support.

Fahmi did not deny the claim, but said Anwar won the Port Dickson seat, and later the Tambun seat, because voters elected him.

"The biggest help of the elections was the voters. The voters that cast the vote. No matter how much people try to help, ultimately victory or defeat is at the hands of the voters,” he said.