Mahathir steps back into Malaysian politics

Updated September 17, 2008 13:26:56

Mahathir Mohammad will reportedly rejoin the troubled leading party of the Malaysian ruling coalition. [AFP]

Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad is to rejoin the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the party he led for 22 years but quit in May.

Bernama state news agency reports Dr Mahathir, a frequent critic of his successor, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, will rejoin the party at a time when the Barisan Nasional government, of which UMNO is the leading party, has come under huge pressure from the opposition.

"The decision to rejoin UMNO was made by himself and, God willing, he will submit his membership application form soon, possibly before Eid al-Fitr (the celebration after the end of Ramadan)," his son, Mukhriz Mahathir, told a press conference.

There have been frequent rumours that Dr Mahathir would rejoin UMNO, perhaps in time for a meeting of party's top governing body on September 18.

The 84-year-old had previously called on UMNO members to leave the party to protest against Mr Abdullah's leadership after a poor showing in March elections when the Barisan Nasional lost its two-thirds majority in parliament.

Barisan Nasional and UMNO are under assault from Dr Mahathir's one-time deputy Anwar Ibrahim, who on Tuesday called for talks with Mr Abdullah to hand over power after saying he had won over enough legislators to form a majority in the Malaysian parliament.

Mr Anwar's three party coalition has 82 MPs and needs 30 more to have a majority in the 222-seat legislature.

The opposition leader, who faces what he says are politically motivated charges of sodomy, said on Tuesday he would go to Malaysia's king, who has the power to dismiss the prime minister and call for a vote in parliament to appoint a new one.

Mr Anwar had been seen as Dr Mahathir's heir apparent until he disagreed with the premier on economic policy in the wake of the Asian financial crisis.

Mr Anwar was imprisoned on sodomy and corruption charges in the late 1990s.