UMNO AGM A commotion erupted in the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) when a Perak delegate delivered a speech that questioned Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s contribution to Umno.

Tempers flared when Hamzah Mohd Kassim remarked that Umno’s success is not because of the former president, who led the party for more than two decades.

“(The success is) not because of a ‘being’ (insan) called Mahathir..,” he said, which immediately courted jeers from other delegates in the hall, according to Sinar Harian .

In order to restore calm, Umno permanent chairperson Badruddin Amiruldin told the delegate to “turn the page and read another topic”.

“Let bygones be bygones, what is important is to look towards the future,” he said.

Obliging, Hamzah chose not to dwell on the sensitive topic and moved on to other matters.

The incident revealed that Mahathir still commands respect and support in Umno despite the ongoing feud with current president Najib Abdul Razak.

Mahathir has repeatedly urged Najib to step down both as Umno president and prime minister.

Prior to the Umno general assembly, he penned a letter warning Umno grassroots members and leaders that if Najib is not removed, the party might lose in the next general election.

On Wednesday, the former premier also accused Najib of attempting to bribe him and reiterated his attacks over 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion issues.

The prime minister has denied any wrongdoing and claimed there is a conspiracy to topple him.