Dr Mahathir calls for formation of core group to remove Najib

(The Star) – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has called for the formation of a core group of like-minded individuals with the aim of removing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The former premier, however, said he would only be part of the group, and would not be leading it.

Dr Mahathir divulged more information on the group when asked on what his next course of action following his resignation from Umno on Monday.

“What’s next is to state our stand. What is happening today is that different people are voicing the same opinion at different locations separately. And people are confused,” he said during a press conference at the Perdana Leadership Foundation after announcing his resignation from the party.

“We need to have a core group with a single objective, so that if anybody wants to consult or support or object, they can consult or support or object with this group of people, who will form the core of the citizens who want Najib removed,” Dr Mahathir added.

Before the press conference, he attended a closed-door meeting with leaders of Parti Amanah Negara.

Dr Mahathir was expelled from Umno after the 1969 riots and was only readmitted to the party in 1972.

This is the second time Dr Mahathir is quitting the party, which he led from 1981 to 2003, when he was prime minister.

He first quit in May 2008 during the tenure of former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

In 2009, he rejoined Umno when Najib became the Prime Minister.