Dr Mahathir quits Umno

Dr M's statement: Pengumuman Keluar Dari Umno here

Update: 5.30pm

Veteran Umno leader Tan Sri Sanusi has quit the party. (The star reports, here)

Earlier story:

ALOR STAR, Mon: After goading Umno members today to temporarily resign from Umno as a sign of protest against the party president, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad took up a “dare” to take the lead by resigning from the party he had been a
founding member of since 1946.

However, he implored Umno members taking up his challenge not to join any other party and remain independent, at least until the Umno leadership was determined (after the December party elections).

He said he will only rejoin the party when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi steps down as Umno president.

Dr Mahathir was answering questions from the floor after giving a talk at a forum entitled 'Malays’ Future after the 12th General Election' at the Star City Hotel in Alor Star when a member of the audience asked him if he would take the lead in quitting Umno.

“Wah, saya di cabar ni…(I have been dared),” he quipped but in a serious tone, he said:

“Yes, I will leave Umno….until the party leadership is determined. Other Umno members should follow me.”

Loud cheers immediately met his declaration. It is not immediately clear if his son, Datuk Mukhriz, also the MP for Jerlun and an Umno Youth Exco member, would follow suit.

The former Prime Minister's announcement also caught his aides by surprise. Dr Mahathir explained that this was not the first time he was out of Umno.

“Between 1969 and 1970, I was expelled from Umno but later, when many Malays and Umno members still supported me, I re-entered Umno. There was no problem. Just don’t join other parties.” --- Continue with the NST report here.

Rea also rocky's Dr M Quits here)

(According to blogger A voice Dr Mahathir made the annoucement at 12:35 today. Sources quoted said that Dr Mahathir repeated his speech at the Johor MyKMU event in Johor Baru, which was spinned by Malaysia Insider as playing the racial card. Dr Mahathir reiterated his call for Pak Lah to quit with a strong message, "Pak Lah harus di singkirkan segera!". According to the blogger, "a Dr Mahathir outside of UMNO could be more vocal and deadly." The question now is: will the disillusioned grassroots unhappy with the party leadership follow suit? What will be the implications of Dr M's resignation on the party as a whole? Will his move hasten Abdullah's departure?)