Where does Mahathir go from here?
His resignation from Umno can be the start of something new or prove to be a mere whimper.
Scott Ng, Free Malaysia Today
Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has played this card before. In May 2008, he quit Umno in protest against his appointed successor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, after Barisan Nasional had lost its customary supermajority in Parliament and ceded a number of states to the nascent opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat. Mahathir attributed the loss to the weakness of Abdullah’s leadership.
Yesterday’s resignation could be his last card, his most powerful statement to the legions of supporters who still adore him. This time Mahathir has quit in protest against not only Prime Minister Najib Razak, but against Umno and the protectionist policies it has put in place around Najib, who is the party’s president.
This time, the statement is simply this: Umno is no longer Umno and its only cause is the protection of its president.
There aren’t too many out there who will argue with him on that point. In fact, one suspects that many grassroots party members will follow him or, at least, wish to do so in their hearts. Mahathir knows that his exit from Umno will send a wave through the party and indeed the Malay community itself. It may be the final confirmation for many that there is indeed no saving the party from itself.
