KUALA LUMPUR – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who quit Umno in February 2016 in protest of Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s leadership, says he has no qualms rejoining if the party gets back on the right track.
Dr Mahathir, who was the longest serving Umno president from 1981 to 2003, said that he still loves the party to this day, but was forced to leave due to corrupt leaders.
“I love the party, but not the leaders. I was the president for 22 years.
“If Umno returns to its old ways and policies to fight for the country, race, and religion, then I will return.
“But if the corrupt leaders remain there, then I’m sorry, I will never work together with them,” he said in an interview with Sinar Harian broadcast live today.
Dr Mahathir first quit Umno in May 2008 during the tenure of the then prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, before rejoining in 2009 when Najib took over the position.
He then quit the party again in February 2016 at the height of the 1MDB mega scandal, and went on to form Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, leading it and Pakatan Harapan to victory in the 2018 general election.
He left in March last year following the Sheraton Move that saw the collapse of the federal government, and formed Pejuang, which is yet to be officially registered.
Mahathir’s biggest regret
When asked what was his biggest regret in his 80 years of national politics, Dr Mahathir said it was his decision to step down as prime minister in 2003.
The nonagenarian said he never imagined his successors Abdullah and Najib would cause so much dissatisfaction and uneasiness among the rakyat when helming the country’s top post.
“No one asked me to resign. I was still popular then, but I thought my time was up, that I am old and should step down,” he said.
Dr Mahathir said that upon his resignation as prime minister in 2003, it took just one week before he began receiving visitors at his door asking him to step in, as many felt that Abdullah was not doing a good job.
“Groups after groups came to see me asking me to do something.
“I tried to advise (Abdullah), but it did not work.
“In the end, I had no choice but to leave Umno and to fight against them,” he said. – The Vibes, February 17, 2021
