JOHOR BARU: Umno supreme council member Datuk Dr Puad Zakarshi claimed that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's attacks on the party's leadership was because of his desire to see his son, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir become the prime minister.
"The real motive of Tun Dr Mahathir attacking to unseat (Umno president and Prime Minister) Datuk Seri Najib Razak is because he wants Mukhriz to become Prime Minister. This is why he did not name anyone to replace Najib.
"Tun Dr Mahathir is obsessed with his agenda to have Mukhriz to become PM to the point that he will slander Datuk Seri Najib and sit at the same table as (DAP adviser) Lim Kit Siang, an enemy of the Malays and Muslims," Puad said in a statement today.
He said Dr Mahathir's recent move to quit Umno was to allow him to become an ally with DAP to force Najib to step down through street demonstrations.
He said Mukhriz needed to understand there were no shortcuts to becoming Umno president and Prime Minister.
"It is apparent that Mukhriz and Dr Mahathir fail to understand that Umno will reject leaders who are greedy for power and positions to the point of wanting to oust the Umno president through an enemy of the Malays and Muslims, which is DAP," he said.
Dr Mahathir, who is a former prime minister and Mukhriz, who is former Kedah menteri besar, were among more than 50 political leaders who signed a declaration last Friday to unseat Najib.
Kit Siang was also among many opposition leaders who were present at the declaration.