Malaysia’s former premier Mahathir Mohamad said Saturday he will rejoin the ruling party UMNO which he quit last year after falling out with his successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Mahathir, who spent more than two decades in power, hand-picked Abdullah to replace him 2003 but was enraged by the new leader’s decision to dismantle several of his pet projects.

Mahathir publicly campaigned for his ouster after disastrous elections a year ago. Abdullah eventually agreed to stand down and is expected to hand power to his deputy Najib Razak in the next few days.

“I will rejoin UMNO. When — I will tell you later,” Mahathir told reporters during a surprise visit to the closing session of the party’s five-day annual congress.
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Popularity: 4% [?]

Technorati Tags: mahathir, najib tun razak, rejoin, umno

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and veteran party man Tan Sri Sanusi Junid announced Monday that they are quitting Umno.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced this on Monday at 12.35pm, citing a lack of confidence in the current leadership.

“I am quitting Umno today,” he told about 1,000 people, mostly Kedah Umno members, at a talk here on Monday.

“I will write a letter to Umno headquarters to inform that I have quit the party,” he said.

He has been critical of his appointed successor Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, blaming the current Umno president for the party’s disappointing performance in the 12th general election. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 5% [?]

Technorati Tags: abdullah, dr mahathir, mahathir, party, prime minister, quit, sanusi, tun mahathir, umno

In 1969, the alliance suffered heavy losses. Dr Mahathir Mohamad then wrote a scathing letter to the prime minister. In the recent general election Barisan Nasional faced with another crushing defeat. His son also pens a letter to the prime minister.

Umno leader Mukhriz Mahathir has called for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to resign after the ruling coalition’s unprecedented election setback. He is the highest-ranking member in Umno to have openly demanded for Abdullah to resign. Mukhriz’s letter to PM is in Malay (Surat Mukhriz Kepada PM) and below is the translation;

12th March 2008

Dato’ Seri,

Let me take this opportunity to thank you and the party’s leadership for the faith in me and the chance to contest in Jerlun as a Barisan Nasional candidate. With the blessing and hard work of the party’s leadership and machinery as well as the people of Jerlun, I have won the elections and am now a new Member of Parliament.

However, sadly enough, my victory is rendered meaningless in view of the defeat that Umno and the Kedah BN suffered in the hands of the opposition. Apart form Kedah, four other states as well as the Federal Territories also received similar humiliation in defeat.

In fact your own state of Penang was wrested by the DAP from the BN. Kelantan is again under Pas rules. In other states, the BN also suffered a similar humiliation when the level of BN support by the people has tremendously reduced. This, Datuk Seri, has never happened in the history of BN rule.
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Popularity: 31% [?]

Technorati Tags: abdullah badawi, letter, mahathir, mukhriz, pak lah, pm, resignation

Are you surprised by the results?

I think it’s shocking. Although I expected BN to lose but I did not think that they lost five states.

I’m sorry that I made the wrong choice in Pak Lah. I never expected a PM to reverse all the policies of the government. So I think the people on the whole must have been very angry. All the three communities, the Chinese, the Malays and the Indians, have reacted.

Will Tun pressure Pak Lah to resign?

I think he should accept responsibility for this. Just as in 2004, the huge majority, the huge victory was purportedly due to him 100 percent. Now he should accept 100 percent of the responsibility.

What do you mean by taking responsibility?

He has destroyed Umno, destroyed BN. And he has to be responsible for this terrible defeat.

If he doesn’t want to take responsibility, do you think that Umno will do something to make him go?

I think Umno people on the ground are fearful of this man as they have never been before. During my time they would challenge me. Here I was not allowed to speak. I was given invitations to give talk to Umno members but these were withdrawn. They say that the police told them to withdraw it.

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Popularity: 16% [?]

Technorati Tags: election, interview, mahathir, opinion