My resignation has nothing to do with telling Zahid to disband Umno, says Mahathir

Dr Mahathir Mohamad said his resignation four years ago which led to the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government  had nothing to do with his advice to Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to disband the Malay party, rejecting a claim by the Umno president of having played a major role in "toppling" the former prime minister.

"That was not why I resigned," the veteran leader said in an interview with MalaysiaNow today. "I resigned not because someone forced me to."

Zahid in comments to shore up support from Umno members recently claimed that he had masterminded  a plan to topple Mahathir to save Umno from being banned by Mahathir's government.

Zahid also claimed that PKR president Anwar Ibrahim had confirmed the plan to ban Umno.

"Anwar told us that the documents to ban Umno are already on the home minister's desk," Zahid said, referring to Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin.

Mahathir, on the other hand, said he had resigned because Bersatu had acted against his advice, adding that this showed his party had "lost confidence in me".

"If we lose trust, we can no longer fulfil our role. We have to resign. That is why I resigned," Mahathir said.

Mahathir's surprise resignation in February 2020, less than two years after becoming prime minister for the second time, followed Bersatu's decision to leave the PH coalition.

As a result, key PKR leaders joined Bersatu and decided to form a new government "with the support of Barisan Nasional leaders in what has come to be known as the "Sheraton Move".

Mahathir's resignation came in the wake of continued pressure from some PH leaders on him to pave the way for Anwar to head the government.

Mahathir today recalled his meeting with Zahid, who called on him shortly after the 2018 general election that ended Umno's six decades of federal power.

"He came to me and I told him that Umno has lost, that it is no longer relevant because it does not adhere to the founding principles of the Umno struggle and has instead turned into a party that prioritises money.

"If you don't adhere to the founding principles of Umno, then it is not the real Umno," said Mahathir, who once led the party for more than two decades.

"I told (Zahid) that it's better for Umno not to continue, but it's up to him what he wants to do."