Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad warned on May 5 of certain forces working to destabilise his Pakatan Harapan government, according to Bernama.

But instead of foreigners or political opponents in the Barisan Nasional, Mahathir trained his fire on civil servants.

PH fighting corruption

Speaking at a town hall gathering in Ipoh, Perak, Mahathir said that some people, including civil servants, resisted the PH's efforts to fight corruption.

"There are some who feel that the government is not as good as the previous one because this government does not allow bribes.

There are some who feel this government should not continue but (the country) should go back to a corrupt government which benefits them."

Mahathir was speaking in front of an audience that included Menteri Besar of Perak Ahmad Faizal Azumu, and about 1,500 civil servants.

Professional duty over sentiment

Ahmad Faizal, in his own speech, also said that some civil servants remained sentimental towards the previous administration.

He said that while he recognised that it was natural for people to form friendships, the oath of loyalty to the present government was still more important, and going against their instructions meant a betrayal.

"This is a form of betrayal of the trust given by the people. Stop the political games," said Ahmad Faizal.

Fair treatment for all races

Along with corruption, Mahathir also touched upon the issue of income inequality.

He said the country's wealth should be distributed equally among Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, in order to head off tensions:

“If we neglect distributing wealth properly, there will unhappiness among the people and this will eventually cause chaos. That is why all efforts must ensure that the distribution of income and opportunities is for all."

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Top image from Mahathir Mohamad's Facebook.