Ahmad Zahid Hamidi could have stopped Malaysia from becoming a kleptocracy had he refused to be deputy prime minister in 2015, says DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang.

Referring to Zahid's recent account of how he was elevated to the post, Lim said that he and other BN leaders should have demanded full accountability from then-prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Zahid was appointed as Najib's deputy in July 2015 after the sacking of Muhyiddin Yassin, Abdul Gani Patail as attorney-general and Mohd Shafie Apdal from cabinet.

Referring to the period as the "week of long knives," Lim said this was an episode for patriotic Malaysians to express regret and not gloat, as Zahid was doing.

"The quality of Zahid’s politics could be gleaned from the lies and mischief which he is spouting, as when he alleged that the 'minority controls the majority', which is his shorthand of inciting racial and religious tensions and hatred implying that the Chinese are controlling the Malays," he said in a statement today.

Yesterday, Zahid told a breaking of fast event organised by Bangi Umno that he was in Mecca when he received 18 "missed calls" from Najib.

When he finally took the call, he told his audience that the person on the other line was "bossku," in reference to Najib, who had demanded that he return immediately to be made deputy prime minister.

Zahid's tenure as deputy prime minister – which lasted two years and 285 days –was the second shortest after Hussein Onn (two years and 155 days), who went on to succeed Abdul Razak Hussein as prime minister.