Mahathir quits Umno

He says it is in protest against the administration of Prime Minister Najib Razak. 

PUTRAJAYA: Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad has quit Umno as a sign of protest against the administration of Prime Minister Najib Razak.

“I want to leave Umno because it is no longer Umno,” he said.

“It is a party dedicated to protecting Najib.

“The policies implemented are to ensure Najib remains as PM and as a result, Malaysia is going through a very bad period. Our economy  is down and while our per capita income may have increased a bit in ringgit terms, the devaluation of the ringgit has had a very bad effect on the economy.

“I can’t be a member of such a party,” he said at a press conference today.

Mahathir joined Umno in the 1940s and became Umno Kedah chairman in 1959.

He won the Kota Setar Selatan seat in 1964.

He was sacked from Umno in 1969 by then Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, following which he wrote the book, The Malay Dilemma.

He rejoined  Umno in 1972 and was appointed senator by Prime Minister Abdul Razak Hussein.

He was elected Kubang Pasu MP and was appointed Minister of Education in 1974.

In 1975, he was elected as one of the vice-presidents of Umno and was made the acting deputy president and promoted to Deputy Prime Minister after the death of Razak in 1976.

Subsequently, he became prime minister  five years later at the age of 56, after Hussein Onn stepped down on July 17, 1981.

Mahathir stepped down in 2003 after 22 years as Prime Minister.

He  was a vocal critic of his anointed successor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and resigned from the party for the first time in 2008. This is the second time he has resigned from the party.

At the same press conference Mahathir also announced the resignation of his wife Dr Siti Hasmah Ali from Umno.

“My wife has also left Umno.” he said.

Mahathir said he would be sending a letter to the party to formally announce his resignation.

-FMT NEWS-