Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak repeating his comment that Malays would be "bastardised" (terbangsat) if Umno lost power signals Umno’s return to extremist politics, says Lim Kit Siang.

In a statement today, the DAP supremo pointed out that Najib’s comment was made shortly after the Umno old guard successfully fended off reform-minded challengers in the party election last night.

"As if to drive home the point that Najib is still a force to be reckoned with in Malaysian politics, his strategists went 'for the kill' to deliver the message after the Umno elections results were known last night that Najib is still the leading force in Umno politics and to set the post-14th general election Umno agenda with the statement on the pertinence and sagacity of the ‘bastardised’ Malays prediction three years ago.

"Najib’s statement last night is the best proof that there are Umno leaders who have not learnt the lessons of GE14 and who see the formula for Umno’s revival in a return to the irresponsible and extremist politics of race, religion, hate, fear and lies, which was propagated with an intensity and viciousness never seen in previous general elections.

Najib stepped down as Umno president after leading BN to its first ever defeat in the May 9 general election, handing the reins to Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who took on the role of acting president.

Zahid, seen as a Najib loyalist, emerged victorious against key opponents such as Khairy Jamaluddin and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

According to Lim, there are now political moves to paint Najib as a great and selfless Malay martyr facing persecution, instead of a former leader being held responsible for the kleptocratic 1MDB scandal.

He recalled that Najib first spoke about "bastardised Malays" in August 2015, just a month after orchestrating the "1MDB week of long knives" by purging ministers and investigators who were closing in on him over the 1MDB scandal.

Umno, Lim added, would now adopt a similar strategy as it did after losing Penang in 2008 – by accusing then-chief minister Lim Guan Eng of being anti-Malay and anti-Islam, and alleging that the community is being marginalised and mistreated.

"There was no basis whatever to these politics of race, and religion, hate, fear and lies which is best testified by the results in Penang state for GE14, where the 10 Umno state assembly representatives in the 13th general election were reduced to two," he said.

"The general election results by Penang Umno in 2018 should be a warning – that if Umno returns to the politics of race, religion, hate, fear and lies, and continues to be destructive, divisive and dishonest political party, then it should expect rejection and repudiation by the majority of Malay voters with its parliamentary representation in GE15 drastically reduced.”