That Dr Mahathir Mohamad's presidential speech at the Umno general aseembly last week is both outrageous and bizzare is beyond question.

But even more shameful is that the Umno supreme council did not see the importance of the presidential speech. By universal convention, the speech reflects the policy or ideology of the party as a whole.

Did Mahathir submit the draft of his speech for suggestions, amendments or approval by the Umno supreme council before it was delivered to a crowd of some 2,000 and broadcast on television...and then bringing shame to the Malaysian rakyat (because excerpts were picked up by the foreign media)?

If the answer is 'yes', then being est and anti-Semitic can be construed as the official guiding ideology of Umno. If the answer is 'no', the supreme council is guilty of gross negligence for allowing the party president to express his personal feelings.

What is Umno, if its supreme council cannot control the president? Has it become Mahathir Sdn. Bhd, and are the rest of the party leaders merely employees with no say in party policy?