Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad managed to set the tone for much of the conversations that went on this week both in and outside of the Dewan Rakyat.

Many people were caught off-guard when he announced on Monday that he was quitting Umno and called for other Umno MPs to do likewise to pressure Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to step down.

Slowly, however, Umno MPs eventually pulled together to pledge their loyalty to their beleaguered party president Abdullah. Several of the party’s supreme council members also lashed out at Mahathir .

mukhriz pemuda umno 050906 explain Thereafter, all eyes turned towards Mahathir’s son and Jerlun MP Mukhriz, who was not at the meeting Abdullah had with the Umno MPs, which was held in Parliament. Later that same day, Mukhriz said he was staying put in the party but insisted that Abdullah should go.

Mukhriz went on to hog the headlines several times this week when even his boss, Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein ticked him off for being ‘disloyal’ to the party.

On Wednesday in the Dewan, Mukhriz questioned the government’s morality in allowing Halliburton, a key corporate supporter of the US military campaign in Iraq, to set up its factory in Johor.

The next day, Mukhriz was again on the offensive when he accused fellow Umno member and de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim of working for Pakatan Rakyat opposition.

That should earn him Malaysiakini’s ‘MP of the Week’.

Other issues that were hotly debated in Parliament included Tourism Minister Azalina Othman Said’s decision to cancel tourism events in Pakatan-led states. Pakatan MPs accused her of misleading the House on the issue.

On another matter, however, BN and Pakatan MPs came together to condemn the death threat and live bullet sent to fellow colleague and DAP leader Karpal Singh.

The next day, Umno was seen to have suffered another blow when former deputy minister and Kimanis MP Anifah Aman rejected an offer to be the chairperson of the newly-revived Umno Parliamentarian Club .

Anifah, who has previously served as deputy minister of plantation industries and commodities, had earlier declined to take up the post of deputy minister after the March 8 general election, a move seen as reflecting his disappointment with not being made a full minister.

What’s next in Parliament?

Parliament, which sits from Monday to Thursday, will end its first session on May 27. After a one-month break, it will resume on June 23. This second session will last for only two weeks. The third session, which is the longest for this year, will be from Aug 18 to Dec 11.

The following are Malaysiakini’s reports from Parliament this week. Parliament did not sit on Monday as it was Wesak Day:

May 22

Nazri blames EC chief for ink fiasco

Mukhriz accuses Zaid of working for Pakatan

Anifah rejects offer to head Umno MPs club

Wan Azizah finds Ezam's decision 'strange'

End miseries of refugees

No regrets in supporting Burma to join Asean

May 21

Mukhriz attacks gov't in Parliament

All past Umno leaders quit party except one

Rais questions motives of father, son

Hishammuddin 'stunned' by Mukhriz demand

MPs condemn death threat to Karpal

Time to honour election pledges, Samy reminds PM

KTM loses up to RM188 million a year

May 20

Umno MPs remain united behind Abdulla h

Dr M's move is 'weird and illogical'

Opposition MPs target Azalina

'Leftists' not sidelined in history books

Last week: Parliament round-up: Khairy steals limelight