PRIME Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today that Umno members have lost their direction and sought guidance from Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali earlier this week. 

“I asked Azmin what he discussed with them: he said that the Umno members had lost their direction.

“(They) don’t know what to do, so they were asking if they should join another party or not.

“Some even made statements that they support my leadership,” Dr Mahathir told a press conference after the Malaysia “Future Leader School” alumni convention in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, today. 

Dr Mahathir said he did not see anything wrong with the meeting being held at Azmin’s residence.

“If he wants to meet anyone, it’s his right. If his party doesn’t agree, then it’s up to his party to speak to him. It’s not my party,” he said. 

On Tuesday, 22 Umno MPs reportedly gathered at Azmin’s home for what is believed to be a meeting to stop attempts to force  Dr Mahathir out of office.

Among the MPs was Hishammuddin Hussein. It has been speculated for months that the former Umno vice-president is linked to efforts to get his party men to join Pakatan Harapan.

The meeting at the minister’s Putrajaya residence started about 9.30pm and lasted two hours.

Those who left the house kept mum on what was discussed.

Sources had told The Malaysian Insight that 22 MPs from Umno and five from PKR were in attendance.

Azmin had later clarified that the meeting was to discuss projects with the MPs and had nothing to do with Dr Mahathir’s tenure in office.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had also been quick to quash speculation on the meeting, saying that the MPs had met with Azmin to discuss government projects in their constituencies. 

Zahid had said Umno’s disciplinary board received complaints about the meeting, adding that the party’s top leaders would leave it to the board to decide on the appropriate action against the lawmakers who were at Azmin’s home.

He had warned that Umno would not compromise with members who worked either privately or publicly with any government faction. – November 22, 2019.