Sungai Petani MP Johari Abdul said this may be the reason why Mahathir decided to let go of his position as the chairman of Proton Holdings Bhd.

“Maybe his advice has not been taken into consideration. I think that triggered the whole thing. He was the prime minister and Umno president for 22 years and had gone through so many crises.

“This is probably the crisis he has taken the most personally. He probably thinks there is no point sitting on the board when the current prime minister is not giving his appreciation or even listening to him.

“I think Dr Mahathir, as an old man and as the person who did so much for the country, may have been saddened by what is going on at the moment,” he told reporters at Parliament lobby here today.

He added that Mahathir was a smart leader and would not have made the decision to quit without getting all the information first.

“I believe he has been receiving a lot of information and data from officers who sympathise with what’s going on.

“I think he has been getting a lot of information from various government agencies and corporations and had acted accordingly in a situation where everything he has done for the country is evaporating. He’s no longer appreciated.

“And when you are almost 92, I can understand.”

Proton was established in 1983 after Mahathir conceived the idea to produce Malaysia’s own make of car. By 1985, he unveiled the Proton Saga, the country’s first ever national car.

News of Mahathir’s resignation from the national carmaker broke this evening amid reports that the automaker was seeking government funding. This request may be jeopardised due to the former premier’s feud with Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Singapore’s Straits Times on Monday reported that Proton was facing mounting debts, poor sales and inability to pay its suppliers. The report also said Proton was looking for a RM1.47 billion grant from the government to remain afloat.