SG BESAR POLLS Acting Umno deputy president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi prays that Dr Mahathir Mohamad will not follow the footsteps of past Umno presidents who passed on outside the party.
"I pray to Allah that will not happen," Zahid said at a press conference in Sungai Besar today.
The deputy prime minister said this when asked about Umno's history of presidents dying outside the party and whether he hoped Mahathir would end the trend.
Apart from Abdul Razak Hussein who died in office, all other Umno presidents who made it to retirement and passed on quit Umno beforehand due to disagreements.
Mahathir and his wife Dr Siti Hasmah Ali quit Umno earlier this year to protest against Abdul Razak's son, Najib's premiership.
The former prime minister is now spearheading a campaign to topple Najib, and is openly campaigning for the opposition Pakatan Harapan in the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections.
Zahid chalked Mahathir's rebellion down to old age, saying he was not as he was before.
"Maybe his readings are wrong as he is at an age where we pray Allah will protect him.
"Hopefully he will not be considered as someone so advanced in age as to make such statements," Zahid said in response to Mahathirlamenting the Malays' alleged blind following of Umno.
Asked if Umno would ever welcome Mahathir back to the party, Zahid said the supreme council would consider it if the former premier was sincere.
However he believes Mahathir currently has no plans to rejoin Umno.
-Mkini
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