Chedet to rejoin UMNO - Muhyiddin

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who quit Umno in a huff in an attempt to unseat Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, is said to return to the party and will back Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah for the presidency in the year-end polls.

Umno vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who has said he will fight to remain party vice-president, confirmed that Dr Mahathir had expessed his intention to return to the party at a meeting last Saturday.

Muhyiddin said he has informed Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak yesterday of Dr Mahathir's intentions. The former party president has been a trenchant critic of of his handpicked succesor Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and said he would only return to Umno when there was a change in leadership.

He had previously endorsed Najib for the top post but recently castigated him for not challenging Abdullah. Writing in his weblog which has received more than six million hits, Dr Mahathir has now backed the Kelantan prince and also Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim as suitable candidates for the presidency.

Several blogs by Dr Mahathir's supporters have said he will back Tengku Razaleigh for the post, an ironic twist to relations between both veteran politicians as the former party vice-president had challenged him in 1987 that split the party and led to Umno's deregistration.

Meanwhile, Bernama reports that Dr Mahathir had expressed his interest to return to Umno at a meeting last Saturday due to his concern over developments in the party but did not state when he would send in his application.

"You should ask Tun (Dr Mahathir) when he is ready to hand over the application form," Muhyiddin said today when asked when it would be submitted.

However, Muhyiddin who is also International Trade and Industry Minister, said Dr Mahathir had indicated that he (Dr Mahathir) was unsure whether his application to rejoin the party would be accepted by the supreme council.

"I have met Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Razak on the matter, but I have not met with the president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Whatever the decision, it is up to the supreme council," he told reporters after a meeting with the Malaysian Services Development Council (MSDC).

However, Muhyiddin felt that the former premier should not have any problem returning to Umno as the supreme council had said that Dr Mahathir was welcomed to rejoin Umno at any time even though his resignation from the party had been accepted.

Asked why Dr Mahathir agreed to return to Umno, Muhyiddin said he was concerned about what was happening with Barisan Nasional (BN) and Umno.

"He is very concerned about the recent developments, not only in Umno but within BN. He is also concerned about the people's feelings and what is happening now. He thinks that by rejoining Umno, he can participate in rebuilding the party's confidence," he said.

Muhyiddin added that several Umno veterans including Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, Tan Sri Sabbaruddin Chik and Tan Sri Sanusi Junid met with Dr Mahathir in a private meeting in Cyberjaya last Saturday.

Dr Mahathir, however, was not available for comment on the matter.

On Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail's meeting with Abdullah later today, Muhyiddin said: "Let him meet with the prime minister to seek views. We like to see this matter resolved in a manner that will benefit everybody."

Excerpt from http://m.themalaysianinsider.com/articles.php?id=8761