Ex-PM Mahathir faces police questioning

Malaysian police want to question former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad about anti-government comments, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday, in what appeared to be a bid to stifle the veteran leader's campaign to bring down the current prime minister.

Mahathir, still a hugely respected and influential figure, made surprise appearances at a protest in Kuala Lumpur during the weekend, calling for a "people's power" movement to topple Prime Minister Najib Razak over a financial scandal.

"Tun (Mahathir) made several allegations in his speeches ... that warrant police action," police spokeswoman Asmawati Ahmad said.