Speaking of plans for a new party, former Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin has likened the ruling party to a car in disrepair that needs to be replaced.

"Umno now is like a run down car, when you repair it, it breaks down again. So we have to change to a new car," he was reported saying in Sinar Harian today.

"How are we to fix Umno? Amend its constitution?" he asked.

He said both he and former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad had chaired the party constitution committee but nothing had changed.

"Nothing changed, Umno is still the same, what more when the party president is one who is extremely irresponsible," the Malay daily reported him saying.

He said therefore the people need not defend Umno anymore, as it is getting worse.

Instead, he said, they should support the new party the ex-Umno rebels intend to form.

New party 'more democratic'

Muhyiddin was speaking at Save Malaysia ceramah in Karangan, near Kulim, Kedah on Friday with former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He said the new party, with its line up of experienced veterans, will continue the struggle for the people, the sovereignty of the country and for religion.

"This party will be more democratic, progressive, dynamic, with Islam, fight for the people including the Malays and so on.

"We will explain further in due course," he was reported saying.

At the same ceramah Mahathir also pitched the new party, saying it comprise sincere leaders who will fight corruption.

Umno finally sacked Muhyiddin last month after he repeatedly criticised Prime Minister Najib Razak over the 1MDB scandal.

He was earlier sacked from his deputy prime minister's post in a series of moves that saw attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail replaced and the special task force probing 1MDB disbanded.

Since his removal from the ruling elite, Muhyiddin, along with Mahathir, have turned to the opposition coalition to tackle BN.

Yesterday, Muhyiddin joined former foe PKR to kick off a campaign to educate the public on the 1MDB scandal in terms that ordinary folk can understand.