Anina Saadudin, a former member of Langkawi Wanita Umno, made use of the Reformasi term “Mahafiraun” (“mighty Pharaoh”) that was laid on Dr Mahathir after he had sacked his deputy, Anwar Ibrahim.

She also made use the remark “cash is king” which Dr Mahathir has turned against Najib.

Anina said Najib had set a new milestone in Umno yesterday when the party expelled deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin and Supreme Council member Mukhriz Mahathir, and suspended another Najib critic Shafie Apdal.

She said the decisions showed Najib’s authoritarian leadership of Umno and claimed that anyone who disagreed with Najib would be given a warning, suspended and expelled.

Anina said Umno had changed, from disciplining members who practised money politics to disciplining those who point it out.

She claimed that Dr Mahathir, while Umno president had “allowed himself to be challenged through internal party elections” referring to Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s challenge in 1987. “This does not happen in the era of Najib Razak,” she said.

Najib had said yesterday that Muhyiddin and Mukhriz were expelled for sharing the stage with opposition leaders and for their constant attacks on Umno.