Dr M to look into 'deep state among civil servants' claim

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he will seek information on the allegations of the existence of a “deep state”, which is trying to sabotage the administration of the Pakatan Harapan government, among civil servants.

Mahathir (photo) also expressed his confidence that the Harapan government was capable of handling the issue if it was indeed taking place.

“I don’t know if it is taking place but if a hidden state exists, I think we can contain it, no problem. Prior to this, there were a lot of problems when I was prime minister, but we could continue to administer...I will deal with it, I will view and study it first,’’ he said to reporters after attending a friendly gathering in Kuah, Langkawi today.

When asked whether the transfer of the Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry secretary-general Mohd Sallehhuddin Hassan was due to the hidden state, Mahathir said he was not sure and would seek information on the matter.

Meanwhile, Mahathir stressed that the national anthem, Negaraku could only be sung in the national language.

“We cannot sing (Negaraku) in other languages. What is written in the book is to show the meanings so that non-Malays understand the wordings but it is not for singing in other languages other than our national language,” he said.

Mahathir said this when asked to comment on a one minute 23 seconds video showing pupils singing the Negaraku in Mandarin which was allegedly recorded on Sept 26, 2018, at a school in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan.

- Bernama