Rebel Umno leaders to decide tonight whether to leave party

The Coalition of Branch Chiefs Malaysia members will hold an emergency meeting tonight to decide their fate with Umno after Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad left the party. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, February 29, 2016.

The Coalition of Branch Chiefs Malaysia (GKCM), a group of Umno branch leaders demanding party president Datuk Seri Najib Razak's resignation, will hold an emergency meeting tonight to decide whether to remain in the party or leave, following the departure of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

GKCM vice-president Rushdan Mohamed said the news of Dr Mahathir quitting the party was serious and reflected the political situation in the country.

"We had a closed door meeting with Dr Mahathir a while ago and he assured us that he will always be with us although he has left 'Party Najib'.

"It is very sad that we have reached this state that the man who built this country has made a decision to leave the party."

Dr Mahathir announced that he would leave Umno today at a press conference in Putrajaya, saying that it was no longer the Umno he knew as the party was now dedicated to keeping Najib in power.

Dr Mahathir, who was prime minister and Umno president for 22 years until his retirement in 2003, has since last year been criticising Najib relentlessly over state-owned investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad and the RM2.6 billion donation.

This is the second time the former prime minister has quit Umno, the first time in May 2008, over unhappiness with Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the then prime minister who led Barisan Nasional to dismal results in the general election that year.

- TMI