Umno information chief Annuar Musa has welcomed Dr Mahathir Mohamad's plans to form his own party, saying this makes it clearer to place him as the "enemy".

According to Sinar Harian today, Annuar said this is better than remaining within Umno and "backstabbing" and "pretending" to love the party.

"Thanks to Mahathir, as he has declared in a formal manner, he is to set up a party officially and will oppose BN openly. That is easier for us," he was reported saying.

"In fact, it is a positive development in a democracy, and it makes it easier for BN to make early preparations, because we now know who to fight against in the next election," he said.

"Life in Umno goes on as normal, they (Mahathir and other ex-Umno leaders) are now 'political enemies' that we now know, it's nothing new," he added.

Annuar in the report also took a jibe at the opposition leaders whom he said had been defeated by Mahathir in the past, and would still under him in the new opposition bloc.

Long-time Umno president and premier Mahathir had been at the forefront of those calling for Prime Minister Najib Razak's resignation, initially to save BN from electoral defeat.

The veteran politician quit Umno for the second time this February, and has announced plans to form a new party that will be part of a broad opposition front to take on BN.