Dr. Mahathir Quits the Malaysia Ruling UMNO Party

Dr. Mahathir Mohamad Tuesday resigned from the UMNO party, which has ruled Malaysia since independence in the 1950s. Mahathir, who was Prime Minister from 1981 to 2003, and who famously stood up to the IMF and George Soros in the Asian financial crisis of 1997-98, has been demanding the resignation of current Prime Minister Najib Razak for the past years, for corruption, involving a state fund set up by Razak; the loss of perhaps billions of dollars from the fund; a $700 million deposit discovered in a private Najib bank account which may have come from the fund but which Najib claims came from the Saudi Royal Family (!); and Najib’s firing of his Deputy Prime Minister and his Attorney General, because they wanted to investigate the case.

Dr. Mahahtir said he is quiting UMNO, because it is “supporting corruption” under Prime Minister Najib Razak’s leadership. “I won’t call it UMNO anymore, this is Najib’s party,” he said to the press today. “I feel embarrassed that I am associated with a party that is seen as supporting corruption — it had caused me to feel ashamed.”

He said he would not set up a new party or join any other party.