Zahid not a hero, Dr M says in panning 'save Umno' claim

Dr Mahathir Mohamad has dismissed Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s recent bid to take credit for saving the party from being banned during his second stint in Putrajaya after the 14th general election.

In a statement, the former premier denied Zahid’s claim that he had attempted to ban Umno, reminding instead how the party had suffered its worst electoral defeat and ousted from federal power for the first time.

“Zahid does not need to boast and portray himself as a hero who brought me down and saved Umno.

“Zahid is not a hero. He is just someone who faced charges in court and was willing to cooperate with Umno’s arch-nemesis, the DAP, so he can become deputy prime minister to save himself from being on trial,” said Mahathir, citing Zahid’s speech at the Cameron Highlands Umno division meeting.

Zahid was charged with 47 counts of corruption linked to millions of ringgit from Yayasan Akalbudi in 2018, and ordered to enter defence in January 2022.

However, the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Sept 4, 2023, granted Zahid a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA).

‘No right to topple’

Contrary to claims that he had attempted to ban Umno, Mahathir recalled his advice to Zahid in at least two private meetings, that the party has veered from its struggle and as such lost the rights to its name.

“Therefore, it is better for the name Umno to no longer be used and to disband the party.

“But Zahid disagreed and did not disband Umno.

“Zahid or his Umno cannot topple me. The losing party has no right to topple the winning party,” stressed Mahathir.

Mahathir reiterated that he had stepped down as prime minister in February 2020 after Bersatu, the party which he founded after leaving Umno, had refused to follow his advice.

“By convention when a leader no longer commands the trust of their followers, the respectable thing to do would be to resign.

“And so that was what I did,” said the 99-year-old veteran politician.

Taking credit

Mahathir’s resignation as prime minister and subsequent events surrounding the Sheraton Move eventually saw the formation of the first Perikatan Nasional government under Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin, at the time in a coalition with BN, PAS, Gabungan Parti Sarawak and Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku.

However, it should be noted that Zahid is not the first person to “claim credit” over the Sheraton Move.

On Oct 22, 2022, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang claimed that he initiated the move to dislodge the then Pakatan Harapan government after the administration tried unsuccessfully to ratify the Rome Statute and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

He described the attempt to ratify the two conventions as proof that some of the Harapan component parties were anti-Islam.

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