Dr Mahathir Mohamad has again urged Pekan constituents not to vote for their MP Najib Abdul Razak in the next election to end his rule as prime minister.

This, said the former premier at a ‘Save Malaysia’ ceramah in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan last night, is to ensure Najib can no longer continue to be prime minister after the 14th general election.

This, said Mahathir, will ensure Najib’s fall without jeopardising Umno and BN.

“Although to defeat (Najib, it appears) we need to defeat BN, however, if we are smart, we can defeat him in Pekan.

“Umno members need not support him, so that he loses there (in Pekan).

“Perhaps in other places we can let BN win. This is a strategy we can use, but it will not be easy to undertake,” Mahathir told a crowd of approximately 400.

Joining him at the event were also former deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin and former Kedah menteri besar Mukhriz Mahathir.

'Umno’s name spoiled'

Mahathir, who was prime minister for 22 years, urged the crowd to sign the Citizens’ Declaration calling for Najib’s resignation saying he will not stop the quest at just 1 million signatures.

“Now Umno’s name has been spoiled, especially among the youth. They don’t see the good in Umno at all.

“This is all due to Najib’s rotten administration,” he said to shouts of "Undur, Najib" ("Najib, step down").

Others present at the ceramah were Mahathir’s wife Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali as well as other big names who have signed the declaration, such as former MCA chief Ling Liong Sik, Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali, PAS leader Mustafa Ali, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang and former law minister Zaid Ibrahim.

Meanwhile on his blog today, Mahathir also had scathing words for Umno leaders and MPs who continued to be "deaf and dumb" to the calls for Najib's resignation, saying they will be punished for destroying Umno out of their own selfishness.

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