Malaysia's ruling party shaken by Mahathir's departure

 Mahathir, 83, announced Monday that he was stepping down as a member of the ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO) party and urged others to follow suit.

Speaking to a gathering of more than 1,000 UMNO members in the northern state of Kedah, Mahathir said he would not rejoin the party, which he helmed for 22 years and had been a member of for more than six decades, until current leader Abdullah Ahmad Badawi resigned.

The former premier has been engaged in a very public spat with his successor, whom he hand-picked to replace him in October 2003, following the government's devastating losses in recent general elections.

The UMNO-led National Front coalition had failed to secure a two-thirds majority in parliament and lost a total of five states to the opposition, recording its worst election performance since the country's independence more than 50 years ago.

Mahathir has blamed the losses on what he described as Abdullah's weak leadership, and has demanded that he step down. Abdullah, in return, has repeatedly maintained he would not quit.

Mahathir's resignation on Monday shocked many, prompting fears that the man who still commands a large following within UMNO would cause a massive split in the party.

"This is the latest saga in what is turning out to be a very bitter, very public spat between Mahathir and Abdullah," said a political observer and UMNO insider.

"But the stakes are a lot higher now, and it's not just Abdullah's position in danger, but rather the entire party is now at a very vulnerable state," he said.

Following Mahathir's resignation, one senior party member echoed his decision to quit. But many others are expected to follow suit.

"What we see is UMNO in more trouble," said Anwar Ibrahim, former deputy prime minister to Mahathir and now head of the opposition National Justice Party.

"Their leaders are grabbing for positions while the welfare of the public is ignored," Anwar, who was sacked by Mahathir in 1998 and subsequently jailed, said in his blog Monday.

Abdullah himself has been an outward picture of calm, saying that it was Mahathir's right to quit, but reiterating that he would continue to lead the party and the country.

Abdullah, who is already suffering from the general election results, on Tuesday refused to comment further, telling newsmen he had nothing else to say on the issue.

Mahathir, who was one of Asia's longest-serving elected leaders, has admitted earlier to being responsible for bringing about rifts within UMNO but has defended his outspoken criticism of Abdullah by saying they were fuelled by a desire to protect the party.

But while some say that a split within the party - and ultimately Abdullah's resignation - is imminent, several analysts believe the beleaguered premier will have enough support from both within and outside UMNO to retain power.

"Mahathir is hoping there will be a mass exodus, but I dont foresee that happening," Denison Jayasooria, a political analyst with a local non-governmental organisation, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Saying that Mahathir's decision to quit revealed a "political immaturity," Denison also said that Abdullah's relatively strong support from outside UMNO would help him stay afloat.

"Mahathir's time is over. He will go down in history in a very negative light," he said.//DPA/Julia Yeow - May 20, 2008