GE14 | Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad has appealed to his former party members to rethink their support for Umno president Najib Abdul Razak.

In an open letter to "all Umno members across Malaysia" dated April 17, one week after the Election Commission announced May 9 as polling day, Mahathir, who now leads the opposition Pakatan Harapan coalition, said Umno is no longer the party it once was.

The founder of Bersatu sought to assure Umno members that he, who had once led the very same Umno for many years, was not against the party itself, but rather what it had become.

"Bersatu is challenging Umno not because of Umno. We are resisting only because it is no longer Umno. All of Umno's base struggles have been obliterated by Najib to the point this once noble party has emerged as a party that is rejected and hated by a large number of Malays.

"You can deny this statement but the reality is this party under Najib's leadership is no longer the Umno of old. Its function and purpose now are to legitimise (menghalalkan) Najib's crimes so that he may remain as prime minister of Malaysia.

"Your support to Najib will only worsen the state of this beloved country. Do you not realise that from a country admired the world over, Malaysia has become a corruption-riddled country led by criminals being laughed at by the world," he penned.

Mahathir joined Umno in 1946 and officially resigned in 2016.

However, he had once been expelled from the party following the race riots in 1969 to be readmitted three years later, and resigned in 2008 to rejoin a year later.

Citing the 1MDB scandal, rising costs of living and implementation of the goods and services tax (GST) as examples, Mahathir appealed to those "who once fought with me to develop the country" to no longer be a party to the country's destruction.

Warning that this election would be the last chance to secure the fate of the Malay race, the country and religion, he also advised Umno members against voting for PAS.

"If you love your race, country and religion, give me and my companions a chance and vote for us," he said.