By Burak Dag

(AA): Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, with four other MPs, on Thursday was expelled from the political party which he co-founded, according to local media.

In a statement, the ruling Bersatu Party (United Indigenous Party) of Malaysia said that his membership was terminated.

Allegedly, Mahathir rejected the leadership of the current Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin as party president and prime minister.

“The unilateral action by Bersatu’s president to sack us without valid reason is due to his own fears in facing party elections as well as his unsafe position as the most unstable prime minister in the history of the country’s administration,” a joint statement by Mahathir and the four others read.

The expulsion came after Mahathir sat on the opposition benches on May 18 during a Parliamentary session, publicly showing his disagreement with the country’s present leadership.

Mahathir was himself ousted from power in February after a coalition he helped put together to win the 2018 election fell apart.

His opposition to Muhyiddin stems from the latter’s decision to bring Bersatu into a coalition with the Barisan Nasional (BN) and Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) parties. Mahathir opposed going into an alliance with the United Malays National Organisation, which had been accused of graft in the run-up to the 2018 election.

Mahathir, 94, was the world’s oldest leader until he quit in February sparking a power struggle.

The crisis ended after Muhyiddin took office after joining a new coalition, supported by the United Malays National Organisation, the party once led by former Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is on trial over corruption charges.

However, Mahathir, who wanted to become prime minister again shortly after resignation, has since bitterly opposed the new government.

Additional report by The Muslim News

[Photo: Mahathir Mohamad. Photographer: Syrenn/ Public Domain]