Dr Mahathir Mohamad will keep "killing" prime ministers until his son Mukhriz comes to power, said political analyst Wong Chin Huat.
Speaking to Malaysiakini , he noted the former premier would not give up his "sport" as long as he lives.
"I don't think Mahathir would stop his sport of killing prime ministers until his son (Mukhriz) is made a prime minister.
"If Mahathir lives up to 100, he would keep killing," he added.
Mahathir is currently on the warpath against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, claiming that if the latter does not quit, Umno would be defeated in the next general election.
Asked if the recent show of support by Umno's supreme council for Najib would make things difficult for Mahathir, Wong said it would be wrong to assume that the former premier is expecting immediate results.
"We would be making the wrong assumption to believe that Mahathir wants this sorted out now.
"Mahathir would just work very hard, (because) this is basically his sport," he said.
Get heavyweights to switch sides
Wong, who is a Penang Institute fellow, said all Mahathir has to do to oust Najib is to convince a few Umno heavyweights to switch sides.
"All (he) needs is Muhyiddin Yassin and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to switch.
"If Hishammuddin Hussein decides to be neutral, that is it, I don't think Najib can survive," he added.
Speculation was rife last week that the knives are out for Najib, after Muhyiddin, Zahid, Hishamuddin and other Umno leaders expressed concern over Tabung Haji's purchase of land in the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX)
However, anticipation of fireworks fizzled when all Umno leaders voiced support for Najib during a meeting in conjunction with party’s 69th anniversary on Monday.
Meanwhile, Ideas chief executive Wan Saiful Wan Jan agreed that Mahathir would not stop, but doubted the former premier would get results because of the things he did when he was in power.
"The reality now is, it does not matter how much pressure is piled on Najib.
"Mahathir himself created a system within Umno in which it is so difficult to remove the president unless the president himself wants to resign.
"So Mahathir can continue to criticise, but I really doubt it would have much impact unless Najib himself is willing to step down," he told Malaysiakini .
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