SHAH ALAM: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has alleged that the Lingam video recording was exposed in order to undermine the lawyer who is representing the former prime minister in a defamation suit.

He said his former deputy Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim "purposely got this tape and exposed it because he wanted to undermine Lingam's credibility, and he happens to be my lawyer".

Datuk V.K. Lingam is defending Dr Mahathir in a RM100 million defamation suit brought by Anwar.

Dr Mahathir said the royal commission of inquiry into the video clip failed to bring up what he claimed was Anwar's "tampering with evidence".

"He did not give the full tape at one go. He released the tape in two parts. We don't know what he kept behind and how many other small tapes he has."
Admitting that he had read an extract of the royal commission's report, Dr Mahathir said there seemed to be every attempt to implicate him.

"Although there is no direct connection with me, in between the lines, it is suggested that the prime minister is biased and things like that.

"This kind of thing will keep going on. This is done by Anwar," he said.

The former prime minister was called as a witness during the commission's hearings.

He was asked to comment on the submission of the commission's report to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Friday after participating in a forum organised by the Alumni Look East Society here yesterday.

Dr Mahathir said his latest remarks could bring on another defamation suit by Anwar.

"If I'm found guilty, I'll go to jail if I have to. If I go bankrupt, then I'll go bankrupt. It's all right," he said.