DEPUTY Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi accused Dr Mahathir Mohamad of using the Malay community and Umno to further his political career, despite the former prime minister and Umno president being of Indian parentage.

Zahid said after using the Malay community and party, Dr Mahathir has now abandoned Umno and is attacking it incessantly.

“Dr Mahathir had likely forgotten about this fact – that he is the son of Iskandar Kutty,” Zahid said, referring to Dr Mahathir’s Indian father.

“On his blue IC, his name is listed as Mahathir son of Iskandar Kutty. This was sent to me by the National Registration Department director.

“No wonder he easily forgot this, as he is the son of Iskandar Kutty,” the Umno number two told the Kelana Jaya Umno division annual general assembly.

Zahid stressed that this was not a personal attack.

“Easily forget” is a play on an oft-used quote of Dr Mahathir who was prime minister and Umno president for 22 years. Dr Mahathir had repeatedly chastised the Malay community for their tendency to “mudah lupa” Umno’s contributions to their welfare.

Dr Mahathir was recently appointed chairman of the Pakatan Harapan opposition coalition, which is working to take Putrajaya from Umno and Barisan Nasional in the 14th general election.

“This person had fought for the Malay cause and used the Malays,” Zahid said.

He used the Malay saying “lepas madu dihisap sepah dibuang”, or “throwing away the husk after sucking out the sweetness” to describe how Dr Mahathir used the party.

 Zahid said Umno was the sweetness that Dr Mahathir had used up and the party members were the husk that he had discarded.

After helming the party for two decades, Dr Mahathir left Umno in protest last year, after current president and Prime Minister Najib Razak became embroiled in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal.

Dr Mahathir’s new political party Bersatu is expected to put up candidates in Umno held seats in the next general election. – July 30, 2017.