Dr M Quits Umno With Immediate Effect

ALOR STAR, May 19 (Bernama) -- Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad Monday announced his resignation from Umno with immediate effect.
Dr Mahathir said he made the decision to leave Umno as he had lost confidence in the party's present leadership for failing to protect the interests and well-being of the Malays.
"I am quitting Umno today," he announced this before 1,000 people, mainly Kedah Umno members, here.
The former Umno president said he would only return as an Umno member after Prime Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi resigned from the posts or was no longer the country's top leader.
"I will write a letter to Umno headquarters to inform that I had quit the party," said Dr Mahathir who was prime minister and Umno president for 22 years.
Speaking to reporters after the function entitled "Fate of the Malay Race" organised by the Kedah Malay Assembly Hall, a visibly disappointed Dr Mahathir said he decided to leave Umno because he felt the party could no longer serve as a genuine political party to protect Malay rights and interests, Umno's founding objectives.
Expressing his dissatisfaction, Dr Mahathir, who has been an Umno member since the party's formative year in 1946, claimed Umno had now been made a party to merely recognise Abdullah as Umno president and accord importance to the prime minister's family interests, with the nation's welfare taking a backseat.
"I can list out the things that Abdullah had done to the detriment of our nation's interests.
"The Umno of today no longer holds to the party's founding goals when it was formed 62 years ago. That is why I have no hesitation whatsoever to leave the party," said Dr Mahathir, who was expelled from Umno in 1969 for breaching party discipline when he criticised the then party leadership led by Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj. Dr Mahathir was readmitted into Umno in 1972.
Dr Mahathir also invited Umno members, who shared his stand on the current Umno leadership, to do the same but not to join another party.
"I believe this way will be effective. I will not ask people to do something that I myself dare not do it," he said.
The former prime minister also expressed his disappointment over Umno members being prevented by the party leadership from meeting him.
"Even to meet them, Umno members and division leaders are not allowed to see me. What is this?" he asked.
Dr Mahathir said the Umno leadership's action had only created more dissatisfaction and had portrayed Umno as undemocratic.
Asked whether his action would prompt Umno members to follow suit, Dr Mahathir said: "I don't care as I was prevented from meeting party members."
Dr Mahathir said he believed his move to leave Umno would not have an impact on the politics of the Malays.
"I was once thrown out of Umno and the Malay politics did not fade away. If the Malays want to correct the situation, it's not because of my quitting. If they are brave to save the party and the party's struggles, they must be brave to act," he said.
Dr Mahathir reiterated that Abdullah must relinquish his prime minister's post to ensure Umno's survival and if necessary, Umno members can pass a vote of no confidence to force Abdullah to step down.
Asked whether his latest move to quit Umno was to apply pressure on Abdullah, Dr Mahathir said: "I don't know about pressure because this man doesn't seem to understand anything."
Asked whether his decision to quit Umno was linked to the Cabinet's decision to instruct the attorney-general to initiate immediate investigations on individuals named in the report by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Datuk V.K. Lingam's video clip case, Dr Mahathir denied it.
"That is a court matter, they can accuse and if I am found guilty, I will be sent to jail, but if I am not wrong, don't arrest me also," he said laughing.
The six people named in the 186-page report are Lingam; Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor; tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan; two former chief justices Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim and Tun Mohd Eusoff Chin and Dr Mahathir.
Copies of the report will be sold to the public on Monday.
At the function, Dr Mahathir also expressed his disappointment with the present Umno leaders who not only did not defend him but also criticised him.
"Before, people say I was serving the nation and they kiss my hand passionately to the point of causing steam to emanate, but when I criticised Datuk Seri Abdullah for not building the bridge (at the Johor Causeway), people condemned me.
"Nobody in Umno came forward to defend me," he said regretfully.
Dr Mahathir, in his hour-long speech at the function, also fielded several questions from the floor, which include on Abdullah's successor and measures to revive Umno's political power.
He also reiterated his call to scrap the quota system for nominations to vie for party posts at the Umno General Assembly in December.
He said Umno could convene a special assembly to get members' approval to abolish the system.
BERNAMA

Dr M, Sanusi quit Umno

ALOR STAR: 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.
The ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, of which Umno is the largest component party, won the March 8 election with a simple majority, and saw four more states join Kelantan under Opposition rule.
Dr Mahathir urged other party members to quit too, as a way of pressuring Abdullah into vacating his post.
However, he advised those who do quit not to join any opposition party, adding they can all rejoin the party once there is a change in leadership.
Abdullah has so far refused all calls for him to step down, and said he would defend his presidency in the party polls in December.
Sanusi, who is a former Kedah Mentri Besar, also quit the party on Monday.

PM Abdullah: Shocked
Meanwhile, Abdullah said he was shocked by the decision and, despite their differences, had not expected him to leave.
However, the beleaguered premier said he would stay on and fight for the party.
“Perhaps some other members might leave too, but this won’t entirely affect the party. It all depends on whether the rest want to stay on and continue to fight for the party too,” he said.
Umno Deputy President Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak expressed his shock and sadness too.
Najib, who read a prepared statement to Malaysian reporters at Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt, said he was prepared to meet Dr Mahathir to discuss his decision.
"I will also discuss with Datuk Seri Abdullah, whom I had contacted just now, on efforts to strengthen Umno and also the issue of leadership transition in the party.
"I hope all Umno members will stay calm and give support to our efforts to strengthen the party," he added.
No need to ask him to reconsider
At the quick press conference, Abdullah also ruled out meeting Mahathir to ask him to reconsider his decision.
“He has clearly thought this through and there is no need to meet him on this,” said Abdullah.
However, he expects the matter to be discussed at the party’s next supreme council meeting.

In KLANG: Former Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo said Dr Mahathir’s decision will affect public perception of Umno’s strength and possibly discourage youngsters from joining the party.
Many of those aged below 40 years grew up during Dr Mahathir’s premiership and hold him in high regard.
“Dr Mahathir’s resignation will have a huge impact on the trust that this group of people, including the Malays, have in Umno and its capability to lead the country,” he said.
He said youngsters wanting to join the party now might also shy away as questions would be raised on Umno’s ability to be effective as a party.
“These youngsters might not join other parties but they will stay away until Umno can mend the current situation and avoid splits in the party,” he said.

In PUTRAJAYA, Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said it was a bad time for Dr Mahathir to quit Umno as the party was going through a difficult period.
He said the resignation would not help in efforts to rebuild Umno.
"He is doing more damage than good; whatever it is, the party is still looking for a new direction and we need everyone to remain united and not split," he said.
Syed Hamid expressed fear for the future of Umno because Dr Mahathir had a great influence and a person of his stature could rattle and destroy the party.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad said Dr Mahathir's hatred for Abdullah was seemingly stronger than his love for Umno.
He said the former premier should realise that asking others to follow his footsteps would only make it easier for Pakatan Rakyat to take over the Federal Government.
"What he is saying is that if you love Umno, leave Umno -- it does not make sense," he said.
Shahrir also said that Jerlun MP Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir should be the first to take up his father's suggestion to quit.

Umno information chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib said he was surprised at the decision, but added that it was Dr Mahathir's right to do so.
"Every member has the right to join or leave the party," he said.
Asked if Umno would convene an emergency meeting, the former Umno vice-president and Selangor Mentri Besar said that "we will wait and see."
The next Umno Supreme Council meeting is scheduled to be held within two to three weeks.

Urged to reconsider
In IPOH, MCA secretary-general Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan called on Dr Mahathir to reconsider his decision.
Speaking at a press conference after a Wesak Day celebration at the Malaysian Buddhist Association (Perak branch) hall here, Ong said he was saddened by Dr Mahathir's sudden announcement.
Barisan Nasional was currently facing a huge challenge and his decision would not benefit Umno and the coalition, said Ong, who is also Housing and Local Government Minister.
As a former Prime Minister, his words carried weight and would affect all levels of the people including party leaders, he said.
“We do not hope for any more problems and neither should we create more,” he said. “Our country needs stability and not uncertainty. His decision would paint a bad impression for the rakyat (citizenry) and foreign investors,” he added.

Lumut Umno division chief Datuk Dr Zambry Abd Kadir also urged Dr Mahathir to reconsider his decision.
“I feel very sad with Tun's decision to leave the party. It should not have happened in the first place,” he said.
Dr Zambry, who is also Pangkor assemblyman, said Dr Mahathir was a great leader who provided a sense of direction and ideas for the party and country.
The problem involved a former president and the present one, he said, adding that it so happened that the predecessor had appointed the current one.
“So it is a complex issue,” he said, adding that the current leadership must immediately find ways to overcome the problems in the party.
Dr Zambry pointed out that it was not unprecedented for former party presidents to quit Umno, adding that Dr Mahathir was the party's fourth president to leave the party.
The other three were the late Datuk Onn Jaafar, Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Hussein Onn, he added.

In PETALING JAYA, Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said Dr Mahathir's decision would not solve the problems faced by the party and would instead give more strength to the Opposition.
"At this time when the party is under stress, all parties including leaders and former leaders must work together to heal Umno so it becomes firm and strong," she said.

In MALACCA, Umno veteran and stalwart Tan Sri Aziz Tapa, 85, said that he was shocked at the news and was at a loss for words.
“How can it be when he (Mahathir) says that he loves Umno? I met him only few days ago in Johor and everything seemed okay. What he is doing is not right,” he said when contacted here on Monday.

Umno supreme council member Tan Sri Rahim Thamby Chik described the move as an "interesting but tragic development" for Umno.
"It's shocking news to me. If true, then I would say that it is an interesting yet tragic development for the party,” he said.

Reacting to Dr Mahathir's resignation, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said, “This will weaken the party at a time when it is facing its enemies.”

Dr Mahathir joined Umno at its inception in 1946.
He became a Member of Parliament in 1964 when he won the Kota Setar Selatan seat.
He lost the seat in the following general election in 1969.
Following the May 13, 1969, riots Dr Mahathir was sacked from the Umno Supreme Council on July 12 because of the widespread distribution of his letter to first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman criticising Tunku’s manner of handling the country’s administration.
Dr Mahathir rejoined Umno on March 7, 1972 and was appointed Senator in 1973. He relinquished the senatorship post a year later to contest the Kubang Pasu seat in the general elections. He was returned unopposed and was appointed Minister of Education.
In 1975, Dr Mahathir became one of the three vice-presidents of Umno.
Tun Hussein Onn appointed Dr Mahathir Deputy Prime Minister on Sept 15, 1978.
Dr Mahathir was Prime Minister of Malaysia from July 16, 1981, until Oct 31, 2003.

Timeline

1946: Joined United Malays National Organisation (Umno).
1947: While a medical student, he wrote extensive anti-colonial commentaries in Malay newspapers under the pen-name "Che Det".
1957: Resigned from government service as a doctor. Starts private practice.
1964: Entered active politics as Kota Star Selatan MP.
1965-1969: Member, Umno Supreme Council.
Sept 1969: Expelled from Umno for disciplinary reasons. Re-admitted on March 7, 1972.
June 1972: Elected a member of the Umno Supreme Council with the highest number of votes. Lost in the election for an Umno Vice-President post.
Dec 1972: Appointed a Senator by the Kedah State Legislative Assembly.
1974-2004: MP for Kubang Pasu, Kedah.
Sept 1974: Education Minister.
June 1975: Umno Vice-President.
March 1976: Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Education.
1977: Acting Chairman, Umno Liaison Committee, Malacca.
Jan 1978: Deputy Prime Minister & Trade and Industry Minister.
May 1978: Chairman, Perak Umno Liaison Committee.
Sept 1978: Umno Deputy President.
June 1981: Barisan Nasional Chairman.
June 1981: Umno President.
July 16 1981: Fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia, Minister of Defence (until 1986) and Minister of Home Affairs (until 1999).
July 17 1987: Umno Political Bureau Chairman.
Feb 16 1988: Pro-tem President of Umno Baru. Umno was declared an illegal society on Feb 4, 1988.
Dec 1993: Kelantan Umno Chairman. Chairman, Politics and Constitution Committees of the Supreme Council.
Sept 1998-Jan 1999: Finance Minister. June 2001 - Finance Minister.
June 22 2002: Announced his intention to resign from all political and government posts at the final day of the 56th Umno assembly. Appeals from Umno Supreme Council members.
Oct 31 2003: Retired as PM and Umno president after 22 years.
Sept 2006: Fails in bid to be an Umno delegate for the Umno general assembly coming in ninth out of 15 contestants in the Kubang Pasu division.
May 19 2008: Quits Umno
TheStar

Cabaran Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
Pada ucapan beliau pada lebih dari 1000 orang hadirin di program Dewan Perhimpunan Melayu Kedah di Starcity, Alor Setar, TUN telah menyebut bahawa ada beberapa cara yang boleh dilakukan untuk mendesak Pak Lah melepaskan jawatan. Apabila didesak oleh hadirin supaya memberikan cara-cara tersebut, beliau telah menceritakan secara detail beberapa cara yang sesuai.
1. Ialah dengan cara mengembalikan demokrasi kepada semua ahli. Ahli diberi kuasa memilih pemimpin yang mereka suka. Dan seterusnya pemilihan Ketua bahagian yang disukai oleh cawangan melalui
wakil-wakil cawangan ke Mesyuarat Bahagian. Seterusnya wakil-wakil bahagian akan memilih presiden yang disukai ahli.
2. Ahli-ahli cawangan boleh memanggil EGM cawangan untuk mengusulkan desakana supaya Pak Lah melepaskan jawatan presiden. Jika mesyuarat cawangan mengcukupi, ianya boleh diusulkan ke bahagian untuk EGM. Maka dibahagian usul perletakan jawatan Pak Lah dapat diteruskan. Jika banyak bahagian mengadakan EGM (dan mencukupi apa yg disebut dlm perlembagaan UMNO), maka mesyuarat EGM Khas Pusat perlu dibuat.
3. Ahli perlu bertindak BERANI. Jika berani beliau mencabar supaya ahli-ahli UMNO termasuk yang berjawatan dalam UMNO utk keluar dari UMNO sehingga Pak Lah tidak lagi menjadi Presiden dan PM. Tetapi beliau menyeru agar jangan masuk parti pembangkang. Jadi independence yang mendesak. Maka Presiden akan tergugat dan kuasa meminta presiden meletak jawatan adalah lebih tinggi.
Apabila seorang hadirin mencabar beliau supaya memulakan tindakan itu, beliau memberitahu akan mengumumkan seluruh negara. Dan pada sidang akhbar di Starcity, Alor Setar, beliau telah umumkan dan akan menulis surat kepada Setiausaha Agung UMNO.
TAPI INGAT JANGAN SERTAI PEMBANGKANG!!
www.mykmu.net

Mahathir quits Umno

Former Umno president Dr Mahathir Mohamad today announced that he was quitting Umno with immediate effect and urged other members to follow him
He said he was quitting the party, which he had led for almost 22 years until handing over the reins to Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2003, as a sign of no confidence in his successor's leadership.
"I will only come back to the party when there is a change in leadership," the ex-premier told a 1,200-strong crowd at a forum in his home state of Kedah this morning.
He also called on all Umno ministers, deputy ministers and all levels of party leaders to join him in leaving the party.
However, he asked these members not to join other political parties.
"Wait till Abdullah quit as the prime minister and party president and then we can return to Umno," he said.
Mahathir dropped the bombshell during his speech at the 'The Position of Malays post-12th General Elections' at a hotel in Alor Star.
His resignation appears to be part of his strategy in upping the ante in his bid to force Umno president Abdullah to step down in the wake of the ruling coalition's worst electoral setback in the March 8 polls.
"I will not ask others to do something that I dare not do.
"I would rather do it myself first before calling on others to quit party," Mahathir, who was the country's fourth prime minister between 1981 and 2003, told journalists after speaking at the forum.
Mahathir urged other party members to follow his lead, in a call analysts said could herald a mass exodus that could potentially split the party and topple the government.
"One way is for us to leave the party in large numbers. This doesn't mean that we should join the opposition. This is the only power that we have in our hands," he said.
In an immediate response, another party elder, Sanusi Junid, who is a Mahathir loyalist and a former chief minister of Kedah, had also announced his decision to quit Umno.
Umno no longer the same party
Mahathir said he could no longer subscribe to Abdullah's political stewardship in both Umno and the government due to the latter's incompetency.
He added that Umno was no longer the same party when it was formed on May 11, 62 years ago.
"Then Umno fought for the Malay interests, rights and privileges.
"But now it has become a party merely to support Abdullah's fragile leadership, serve his, his family's and his cronies' interests.
"Due to this, I'm relinquishing my Umno life membership," he said, adding that he would write a letter immediately to the party secretary-general to that effect.
When asked whether his shocking departure from the party would put pressure on premier to quit, he said he was not sure about it because "this man (Abdullah) seems could not understand anything."
On whether his resignation would trigger a resignation spree among Umno leaders and members, Mahathir said they would do so if they loved the party.
"They must have the courage to do it," he said. "If they love Umno and want Umno to survive, then they have to resign as a show of no confidence on Abdullah's leadership.
"However, if they love Abdullah more than the party then they would not quit," he said.
Mahathir said he believed his move to leave Umno would not have an impact on the politics of the Malays.
"I was once thrown out of Umno and the Malay politics did not fade away. If the Malays want to correct the situation, it's not because of my quitting. If they are brave to save the party and the party's struggles, they must be brave to act," he said.
'We don't want you anymore'
Earlier, speaking at the packed hotel ballroom, Mahathir called on party leaders and members from all levels to quit the party to force Abdullah to step down to send an unambiguous message to the prime minister that "we don't want you anymore".
"We cannot afford to wait until the party polls because no division would dare to nominate another person, other than Abdullah for the top post.
"So the best way is to force him (Abdullah) to leave by us quitting first," he said.
However, Mahathir's quit decision came only after his speech when he was challenged by a member of the crowd to lead the way in quitting the party.
Without missing a beat, Mahathir responded that he would do so.
"I declare today I'm quitting Umno because I could not stand with Abdullah's leadership any longer," he told the shocked crowd during the question-and-answer session.
When pressed by others from floor on whether he was serious about the matter, he stressed that he was a man of principle and would not back out from his decision.
"I will keep my word to quit party until Abdullah steps down," he added.
Even though opposition parties PKR and PAS would welcome estranged Umno members, he said it would defeat the purpose if members quit only to join them.
"Our objective to quit is to force Abdullah to step down.
"Once he has quit his positions, then we all shall return to revitalise the party," he told a cheering crowd.
Mahathir - Umno Baru No 1 member
Mahathir, 82, joined Umno at its inception in 1946 and in recent years has been Abdullah's most vocal critic.
He entered active politics as a member of Parliament for Kedah's Kota Star Selatan in 1964.
He lost the seat in the disastrous 1969 general elections, and was expelled from the party after attacking then president and prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman.
Mahathir was invited back into the party by second prime minister, Abdul Razak, and re-elected to Parliament in 1974 for the seat of Kubang Pasu, also in Kedah.
Soon after he was appointed education minister. Within four years he was deputy leader of the party, and in 1981, became prime minister.
When Umno split into two as a result of a bitter factional feud and the party deregistered after a legal battle a year later, Mahathir formed Umno Baru and he was the new party's first member.
Meanwhile, rival leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah who narrowly lost to Mahathir in the leadership contest, went on to set up Semangat 46.
Razaleigh and his party returned to Umno's fold in 1996 and the veteran Umno leader is now challenging Abdullah in the party polls to be held in December.
In response to Mahathir's announcement today, Razaleigh said he would remain in Umno to challenge Abdullah's leadership.
Malaysiakini

PM shocked by Dr M's decision

Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was shocked by his predecessor's decision to quit the party but will not meet him personally to ask him to reconsider the decision.
Abdullah, who is also prime minister, was nevertheless confident that there would not be a mass exodus of party members following Dr Mahathir Mohamad's lead.
He also vowed he would not step down as demanded by Mahathir and to instead continue leading the party.
The embattled premier, who has been under fire for BN's dismal performance in the March 8 general election, also called for "calm" within Umno.
"I was surprised that he resigned and does not want to be in Umno any more," the premier told reporters, after years of feuding between the pair. "I had never thought that he would actually take the step to leave the party."
Abdullah said Mahathir's decision would "weaken the party to an extent" but that he did not expect any of the ruling party's lawmakers to quit.
"I think maybe some people will follow him. The question is whether you care for Umno or not," he said.
Asked whether he would step down to take responsibility for disastrous results in March 8 elections, he replied: "Why should I? I have a lot of work to do."
"The important thing is that Umno has to remain calm and understand that its members have to be loyal to the party and be strong and continue to carry out the struggle," he said.
Earlier today, in a a speech to about 1,200 people in Alor Star, Mahathir said his decision to leave Umno was prompted by his lack of confidence in Abdullah.
He also urged other Umno members and cabinet members to folow suit.
"I am quitting Umno today. I will only come back when there is a leadership change," Mahathir said.
"We can return to Umno when Abdullah steps down," he said in the speech in his home state of Kedah.

Shahrir: Prepare for another general election

In the wake of the shocking news that former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had quit Umno, a senior party leader said that the country could face another general elections.
Shahrir Samad, the minister for domestic trade and consumer affairs, said Mahathir's surprise move could trigger a flurry of resignations from the embattled party that could force Abdullah to hold fresh general elections.
"By Tun doing this it could cause a situation where many other Umno lawmakers might resign," he said, using Mahathir's honorific title.
"If this happens then the government has no choice but to form a new government or call a fresh general election," Shahrir told AFP.
"Certainly it is not helpful or constructive to the struggle of Umno right now," he said, as the party fends off a challenge from opposition figurehead Anwar Ibrahim who says he could soon seize power with the help of defectors.
Shahrir, who is Johor Baru parliamentarian and Umno supreme council member, said that while Anwar was threatening to snatch MPs from the smaller parties with which Umno rules in coalition, Mahathir could chip away at the ranks of the ruling party itself.
"This will be a reduction of the number of Umno lawmakers which is the ruling party of the present government," he said.
"I suppose it is Mahathir's way of trying to force a call for a referendum from the grassroots."
Should Umno MPs quit the party, they would have to declare themselves as Independents, and this will reduce the majority the government has in Parliament.
PM is like 'horse that has lost its rider'
Umno-watcher Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, a political analyst from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said the resignation was a body blow to Abdullah's chances of clinging on to power.
"Mahathir has just pulled the carpet under his feet because when he leaves Umno I believe many more will follow, especially the elder members of Umno," he said.
Shamsul said Abdullah was totally discredited within his party, and protected from ouster only by tight rules for posing a challenge, which Mahathir himself introduced.
"Within Umno he has no control at all. He's a bit like a horse that has lost its rider," he said.
Umno information chief Muhammad Muhammad Taib told Malaysiakini that he was surprised at Mahathir's abrupt departure.
"Every member has the right to join or leave the party," he said.
Asked whether Umno would convene an emergency meeting in response to the move, he refuted rumours of a hastily convened supreme council meeting tonight.
However, he did not think that there would be a general election anytime soon.
"It is incumbent on Umno MPs to ensure the party stays strong to support the government."
Son: Dr M to send letter to Umno sec-gen
Mahathir, 82, joined Umno at its inception in 1946 and he has weathered a number of storms including his expulsion from the party in 1969 and a 1988 crisis when Umno was declared illegal.
"Mahathir has resigned from Umno in protest over Pak Lah's continued leadership as both the prime minister and president of Umno," Mokhzani Mahathir told AFP, referring to Abdullah by his nickname.
"He will also write a letter to the Umno secretary-general to inform him of his resignation," he said, adding that Mahathir announced his departure during a speech today in Alor Star, the capital of his home state Kedah.
"He made it clear at the gathering at Alor Star that he is resigning in protest over the current leadership," he said.
Mahathir ruled Malaysia and the dominant Umno for 22 years until 2003 when he handed over to Abdullah, his hand-picked successor.
However in recent times he has been a vocal critic of Abdullah's administration and since disastrous March general elections, which produced Umno's worst ever results, has actively campaigned for him to step down.

Dr M's Quit Decision Draws Varied Reaction

KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 (Bernama) -- The sudden decision by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to quit Umno today has received all kinds of reaction with many saying it would not help resolve the problems the party is currently facing.
Tourism Minister Datuk Azalina Othman Said said apart from not helping improve the situation in Umno it would give the opposition "more ammunition".
"The prolems in Umno should be seen as a "family matter" and resolved in the family spirit," she said in a statement here.
Dr Mahathir announced his quit decision at a lunchtime gathering with about 1,000 Kedah Umno members in Alor Star and said that he would only return to Umno if Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badwai steps down as the prime minister and Umno president.
In KANGAR, the Perlis Umno liaison committee urged Dr Mahathir to reconsider his decision.
Its information head Datuk Hashim Suboh said if there were weaknesses in the party, these were leadership problems and not the fault of the party, which Dr Mahathir had built to be strong and respected.
"The grassroots gave the party leadership and the government a clear message in the March 8 general-election and efforts to rehabilitate Umno has started.
"As such Tun (Dr Mahathir) should not run away but continue with his fight to put Umno back on the right footing," said Hashim, who is also Kangar Umno deputy chief.
He added that if Abdullah was the problem, it was better to let the party's processes to take their course.





tunku : he had tried his best to save the party but it seems that still lots of its leader think power is more than party survival.the last resort for him is to quit and we the umno members should quit too but not to join the opposition.we will quit and we will rejoin after pak lah resigns.I AS AN UMNO MEMBER,WILL QUIT THE PARTY TOO.