More on Tun Mahathir Quitting Umno

Perlis Umno Will Meet Dr Mahathir Tuesday

KANGAR, May 19 (Bernama) -- Perlis Umno liaison committee members will meet former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad Tuesday to try and persuade him to reconsider h
Perlis Umno chief Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim told Bernama he was worried the action by Dr Mahathir would affect the strength of the party, which was already facing internal problems.
He said the delegation would Dr Mahathir in Kuala Lumpur.
Dr Mahathir dropped the bombshell during lunchtime Monday while speaking to Kedah Umno members in Alor Star.

Dr M's Resignation Has Taken Everyone By Surprise, Says Rais
SINGAPORE, May 19 (Bernama) – UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Rais Yatim said Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad's resignation from Umno was a sudden development although some quarters had been expecting certain development of this nature a few days ago.
"I do feel it has come about to be rather too quickly," he told reporters before leaving home after attending the Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting here Monday.
He said he could understand Dr. Mahathir's sentiment especially during the testy period of political development in the country in the past two years.
The Foreign Minister said what was uppermost for Umno was to find its own strength now that its former president and former prime minister had left the struggle.
"But I believe deep inside Tun Dr. Mahathir still loves the party," Rais said, adding that perhaps the latent intent of his leaving Umno was not yet explained fully and he should be given the right of hearing.
Rais said Umno members should remain calm although for some groups this was an indication for them to leave the party.
He said Dr. Mahathir's resignation might split UMNO and the Malay people like what had happened in 1987 when UMNO faced a leadership crisis then.
Dr. Mahathir had a big following after garnering influence and leadership for 22 years and it was not an easy matter simply to cast him aside and treat the matter lightly, he added.
Saying it would not be easy for anybody to make Dr. Mahathir retract his decision, Rais said he hoped after this Dr. Mahathir would not continue to disrupt Umno and jeopardise its struggle.
Saying the next few weeks would be crucial for Umno as it was uncertain how many of its members would follow Dr. Mahathir's footsteps, he said the Umno leadership should act quickly and systematically so that the party did not disintegrate.
He said it would be a grave mistake for those who were in the opinion that Dr. Mahathir's resignation was alright and "business is as usual".

tunku : you are right rais,it would be a grave mistake for those who were in the opinion that Dr Mahathir's resignation was alright.Though many will not quit the party by tendering the letters but unofficially they are gone.


I Will Continue To Discuss Umno Leadership Transition With Party President - Najib
SHARM-EL-SHEIKH (Egypt), May 19 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he would continue to discuss with Umno president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on efforts to strengthen the party and the issue of Umno's leadership transition, which had been touched on by Abdullah himself.
The Umno deputy president said he hoped all Umno members would remain calm following former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's sudden decision to quit Umno on Monday and urged them to have faith in the current leadership to reform the party.
Najib, who is also the chairman of Umno's management committe, said he had contacted Abdullah himself and several other leaders over the matter.
Speaking to Malaysian journalists covering his attendance at the World Economic Forum for the Middle East here, he said he was shocked and saddened by the decision by Dr Mahathir.
"Tun Dr Mahathir's contributions to Umno and the country are immeasurable," he said.
Dr Mahathir, who joined Umno in 1946, announced the quit decision at a political function in Alor Star.
Dr Mahathir had cited his loss of confidence in the party's current leadership for doing so and said he would only rejoin Umno if Abdullah stepped down.
Najib said he had recently met Dr Mahathir and would was willing to meet him again to discuss this latest action of his.
"Before this, all internal problems in Umno were settled internally and not from outside," he said, stressing that Umno was a sacred party for the Malays and had been in the forefront of their struggle for so long and would continue to do so in future.
Apart from this, he said it was important for the Barisan Nasional (BN), which was led by Umno to discharge its responsibilities according to the mandate given by the people in the recent general election.
"We cannot allow Umno's internal problems to distract us from the task at hand," he said.
Najib said he would proceed to Saudi Arabia to perform the umrah (minor haj) after this meeting as per his schedule although some quarters wanted him to return to Malaysia immediately.

tunku : najib should act fast and pressure pak lah to step down soon if he wish to see umno survive in the next general election.

Opposition Stunned By Dr M's Sudden Decision To Quit Umno
KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 (Bernama) -- Leaders of opposition parties were startled by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's sudden decision to resign from Umno today but welcomed it.
In KOTA BAHARU, PAS spiritual advisor Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said although it caught him by surprise, he was the most happy by the decision as it would give PAS greater impetus to widen its political influence.
The Kelantan Menteri Besar said he respected Dr Mahathir as a statesman who was respected worldwide and a great leader who brought much progress for the nation.
Speaking to reporters at his residence in Pulau Melaka, Kota Baharu, Nik Abdul Aziz said he held Dr Mahathir in high esteem for standing up to the West over the issue of Palestine and Israel for the problems in the Middle East.
He added that PAS would welcome him if he were to join the party as his knowledge and experience could help bring it to even greater heights.
In PENANG, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said Dr Mahathir's decision to quit Umno would be a gigantic political earthquake besetting the party after the political tsunami of March 8.
Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, said in a statement the development was part of the intense power struggle of disparate vested interests within Umno.
Penang Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) chief Datuk Zahrain Mohamed Hashim said he did not expect Dr Mahathir to take such an action.
"We expected him to influence Umno members to move a vote of no confidence against the Prime Minister but not this. We will wait and see what happens next," he said.
Asked if PKR would invite Dr Mahathir to join the party, he said," It might be difficult as our idealogies are different, but we never know."

tunku : the oppositions need not to bother to invite tun to join their parties as tun will never join any oppositions party.though he's quitting umno but his heart is still with umno and he has said that he will rejoin umno after pak lah no longer as the president.end of story.

Majority Of Umno Members Will Remain Loyal To My Leadership, Says Abdullah
KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi says he will not give in to pressure by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to resign as prime minister and Umno president.
The prime minister said he was confident the majority of Umno members would continue to remain loyal with the present leadership.
Abdullah, in his reaction to the former prime minister's sudden announcement Monday that he was quitting Umno with immediate effect, however admitted that his predecessor's decision would have some impact on Umno, with some members following Dr Mahathir's move to leave the party.
"I hope the majority of Umno members will continue to remain loyal to Umno as it had contributed immensely to the Malays, the country and all the races," he told reporters after launching MSC Malaysia Sarawak Initiative at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
Abdullah, who was shocked over the sudden announcement by Dr Mahathir, who has been an Umno member since its formative year in 1946, hoped party members would remain calm in facing the latest development in Umno, the backbone of the Barisan Nasional (BN).
"I was shocked when I heard Tun's decision...I think when Tun has made a decision, he doesn't care anymore," he said.
Dr Mahathir, an Umno life member, dropped a bombshell at a political forum in Alor Star that he was quitting Umno with immediate effect as he had lost confidence with the present Umno leadership for failing to protect the rights and interests of the Malays.
The former Umno president said he would only return to the party after Abdullah stepped down as prime minister.
Abdullah said: "If this is his decision, then Umno members should remain calm. We must realise that as party members we must be loyal to Umno to see our party emerge strong to pursue the founding struggles.
"What is going to happen to us if we don't have a party. Umno had contributed immensely to the Malays, the country and Malaysians of all races," he told a packed press conference.
Asked whether Umno would be adversely affected and members might decide to follow Dr Mahathir's move, Abdullah said: "I'm not saying it will not have any impact at all, maybe it will (some members may quit Umno).
"It's our love for Umno that gives us the strength and vigour to pursue the party's ideals," said Abdullah who succeeded Dr Mahathir as prime minister and Umno president.
In the face of the latest development in Umno, Abdullah was confident that BN members of parliament would not leave the coalition to embrace opposition parties, adding that Umno and BN component party members must remain calm and united at this crucial time.
"Maybe some may quit the party but I think it will not happen. Umno MPs will not leave the party. Perhaps, grassroots members may or may not leave Umno.
"What's important is for us to think whether we want to quit Umno. If we no longer want to be with Umno, then there is no Umno spirit in ourselves.
"As for me, I will continue to remain with Umno and I hope Umno members will remain steadfast with the party.
"If they want to be strong, there is no logic or reason for them to leave Umno. That's my belief," he said, adding that Dr Mahathir's decision to quit Umno would be discussed at the next meeting of the supreme council, Umno's highest decision-making body.


tunku : of course you(pak lah) will continue to remain with umno as you are the president of it.what a stupid statement. on your statement that the majority umno members will remain loyal to your leadership, that we will know come next general election. as for umno's election it won't portray the true picture as the representatives can vote against the choice of the grassroots members.keep dreaming pak lah.

Pengumuman Keluar Dari Umno.
www.chedet.com

Hari ini, Mei 19, 2008 saya mengumumkan keputusan saya untuk keluar daripada UMNO. Isteri saya turut bersama.
Keputusan ini dibuat kerana UMNO yang ada sekarang bukan lagi UMNO yang ditubuh 62 tahun dahulu yang berjuang untuk bangsa Melayu, Agama Islam dan Negara Malaysia (Malaya); UMNO yang menggagalkan Malayan Union, memperjuangkan kemerdekaan Malaya dan Malaysia dan membangunkan Malaysia sehingga menjadi Negara yang termaju di antara Negara membangun di dunia.
UMNO yang ada sekarang hanya wujud untuk menyokong Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, keluarganya dan tindakan serta dasar yang tidak secocok dengan kepentingan bangsa, agama dan negara.
Kepimpinan Dato Seri Abdullah jelas membawa kekalahan dan bencana kepada Barisan Nasional, UMNO, MCA, MIC, Gerakan dan PPP. Kemenangan UMNO di Sabah dan BN di Sarawak bukan kerana kepimpinan Dato Seri Abdullah.
Saya akan jelas satu persatu dasar-dasar dan tindakan Dato Seri Abdullah yang menjadikan Kerajaan pimpinannya dan parti BN dibenci oleh ahli-ahli parti komponen sendiri.
Walaupun sebelum perisytiharan ini saya adalah ahli UMNO tetapi sebenarnya selepas saya letak jawatan sebagai Perdana Menteri saya tidak dilayan sebagai ahli UMNO.
Saya tidak dibenarkan berjumpa ahli UMNO dan ahli UMNO tidak dibenarkan hadir apa-apa perhimpunan di mana saya dijemput sebagai jurucakap atau penyampai ucapan.
Menteri-Menteri yang dahulu berada dalam Kabinet saya tidak dibenarkan atau tidak berani atau tidak mahu jumpa saya lagi.
Jemputan oleh UMNO dan bukan UMNO kepada saya diarah ditarik balik oleh Mneteri Besar dan Polis.
Ramai pemimpin UMNO melepaskan kata-kata kesat kepada saya dan ada yang menyuruh saya keluar daripada UMNO walaupun mereka baru sahaja masuk UMNO. Tidak ada pemimpin UMNO yang pertahankan saya secara terbuka.
Wakil ke Perhimpunan Agong tidak dibenarkan menyuara pendapat mereka. Mulut semua orang ditutup.
Yang didengar hanyalah media arus perdana yang memuji Dato Seri Abdullah sehingga dia percaya dia begitu popular dan akan sapu bersih parti lawan dalam pilihanraya umum ke-12.
Hasilnya ialah kekalahan yang teruk bagi Barisan Nasional. Malangnya mesej yang hendak disampaikan oleh pengundi dan penyokong BN tidak dapat difahami oleh Dato Seri Abdullah.
Dia masih berkata dia menang. Ini sukar diterima oleh orang Kedah, orang Pulau Pinang, orang Perak, Selangor dan Wilayah Persekutuan.
Oleh kerana Dato Seri Abdullah buta mata dan pekak telinga dan tidak faham mesej ahli BN, oleh kerana ahli UMNO pun turut bersama, oleh kerana proses demokrasi tidak berjalan, oleh kerana UMNO yang ada sekarang bukan lagi UMNO yang ditubuhkan 62 tahun dahulu, saya berpendapat penyertaan saya sebagai ahli UMNO tidak bermakna dan tidak berguna lagi.
Justeru itu saya ingin umumkan bahawa saya sudah keluar daripada UMNO.
Saya ingin tegaskan bahawa saya bebas dan tidak menyokong mana-mana parti lawan.
Saya akan pohon untuk masuk UMNO apabila Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi sudah berhenti daripada menjadi Presiden UMNO, Pengerusi BN dan Perdana Menteri Malaysia.

Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad (bekas ahli UMNO No 1)
Dr Siti Hasmah binti Mohd Ali (bekas ahli UMNO No 2)