For 22 years, the medical doctor-turned-politician was the undisputed leader of Umno and the nation. Despite having relinquished the reins a decade ago, he continues to hog the limelight.

And when quizzed on the findings of a recent survey which revealed him to be the most popular figure in Umno, Dr Mahathir Mohamad quipped that he should become prime minister again.

"Thank you for the survey findings, I did not read it," he told a news conference, according to Malay Mail Online.

When informed that the survey was carried out by independent pollster Merdeka Centre, Mahathir joked: "I am the one who is funding them."

The survey disclosed that Mahathir took pole position with 79 percent of the votes, followed by Najib (69 percent) and Muhyiddin Yassin (54 percent).

The survey results do not come as a surprise given that a large portion of Umno members yearn for the golden era under Mahathir's rule.

The party, which is the backbone of the ruling BN coalition, had witnessed its five-decade-old grip on power slip since the 2008 general election.

Although Umno secured 88 parliament seats in the recently-concluded general election, its coalition partners now stood on the brink of extinction.

Umno itself is struggling to maintain its relevance among the urban and educated Malays, who prefer a multiracial political platform.

Mahathir, on the other hand, had constantly criticised his successors Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib Abdul Razak of being too liberal and accommodating.

The former Umno president had accused Najib of not protecting the rights and interests of the Malay community, leading to the emergence of hardline groups like Perkasa.

While Mahathir’s popularity soars in Umno, his incendiary statements on racial issues, however led to his credentials hitting rock bottom with the non-Malays.

Dr M warns about that risky business called rebellion