Barred from doing so in Kedah, an Umno branch from the northern state today gave former Umno president Dr Mahathir Mohamad a hero's welcome in an event in Kuala Lumpur.

About 500 people broke into song and cheers when Mahathir arrived at the event at the Islamic Arts Museum, in the midst of a fiery speech by former Kedah menteri besar and Mahathir loyalist Sanusi Junid.

"The solution to this problem is for the people to rise! We continue to read and try to understand, but we can no longer sit still...[ ]

"We are Kedahans, we live amid paddy fields and paddy farmers don't know how to hide," Sanusi said.

He then took a dig at Umno president Najib Abdul Razak whom Sanusi claimed "cannot curb his desires".

“The problem facing our country now is clear. The problem is we have a leader with no morals," Sanusi said, adding that the problems are all linked to 1MDB and Najib.

Sanusi also said the grassroots can no longer rely on Umno MPs or division heads to remove Najib as prime minister.

"It is improbable that those who had received money will vote against him.

"It is improbable that they can make a rational decision because they are scared their rice bowls will be affected," he claimed, alluding to allegations that part of the RM2.6 billion donation was used to pay off Umno division leaders.

Instead, Sanusi urged the disgruntled grassroots members to trigger a "revolution" through achieving a "snowball effect" of information on the 1MDB and RM2.6 billion scandals.

He said Umno branch members, starting with the ones gathered today, should each educate themselves on the two issues and approach 10 other members to convince them that Najib must go.

"Once you have convinced 10,000 members, you will achieve the critical mass. In any revolution, the most critical factor is to achieve the 'snowball' effect," he said.

Sanusi earlier said he had specially requested to be discharged from the National Heart Institute yesterday in order to attend the Umno general assembly.

"This morning I was still swaying when I walked so my wife said I can't attend the AGM. When she left to go to the university, I sneaked out to come here.

"Even Tun (Mahathir) advised me not to speak so that's why I started before he arrived," quipped Sanusi who ended up speaking for nearly an hour.

'We are doing for love of party'

At a press conference later, the grassroots leaders reiterated their support for Mahathir's call that Najib must resign from his position.

Speaking on behalf of the members, Anuar Abdul Hamid, from the Umno Badli Shah branch in Kedah, said the members feared Najib's continued reign will cost Umno and Barisan Nasional at the next general election.

"When there are allegations against a leader, it is only right that he steps aside so that investigations can be carried out accordingly."

He said leaders like former Malacca chief minister Rahim Thamby Chik and Selangor menteri besar Muhammad Muhamad Taib had in the past stepped down when they were faced with their respective controversies.

Anuar also said the members were not afraid of having action taken against them by the party.

"What we are doing is for the love of the party."

Mahathir is on a mission to unseat Najib as prime minister, after claiming that Najib is leading the country to ruins.

Mahathir earlier complained that organisers could not host him in Kedah because they were not allowed to use any halls. The ex-PM is a Kedah native.

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