Tun Mahathir quits UMNO

ALOR STAR: Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced Monday at 12.35pm that he is quitting Umno.

On Sunday, Dr Mahathir said everything deemed as Malay privileges had been questioned and challenged by the non-Malays.

(The Star)

Note: This is the original article published in The Star Online at the time of posting. The last sentence which quotes from a previous article has since been removed and replaced with a recount of Dr M's political history. Updated article below:

Dr. M quits UMNO (updated)

ALOR STAR: Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced Monday at 12.35pm that he is quitting Umno.

He said this during a talk here on Monday.

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.

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 the next two or three weeks.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

[Addendum]

PAS Man Lit the 'Resignation' Fuse

ALOR STAR: The man who challenged Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to quit Umno is actually PAS member Ismail Wan Teh.

Ismail was wearing a non-governmental organisation’s hat when he asked Dr Mahathir if he would be willing to quit Umno as a sign of protest against Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s leadership.

Ismail, the Kedah Citizens’ Action Group deputy chairman, asked the question based on Dr Mahathir’s call to Umno members to resign en masse as a show of no-confidence in Abdullah.

Ismail asked if Dr Mahathir were willing to quit, as it would have a major impact on Umno.

Dr Mahathir who was probably not aware that Ismail was a PAS member, said it sounded like a challenge.

“I will leave Umno until Abdullah’s leadership is ended,” he said.

Dr Mahathir, who is Umno member number 000 0001, told a press conference later that he would rejoin Umno after Abdullah had stepped down.

Ismail contested and lost the Kota Siputeh state seat in Jerlun in the recent general election.

(The Star)

(Malaysia Today)

Ha ha ha! xD