Its chief, Syed Mohd Johan Rizal Syed Unan Mashri, said this was for the sake of continuity and the direction the party must take to keep moving forward, adding that he was speaking on behalf of the grassroots concerned with the crisis that has hit Umno.

“We believe Zahid has failed to show strong leadership qualities and lacks the charisma to steer the party.

“This has caused certain members of Parliament and some division leaders to go their own way.

“He has not shown any real effort to raise members’ spirits or emphasised what actually is the party’s focus from the time he was the acting president until he was elected president,” he said in a statement today.

He urged the former deputy prime minister to consider quitting in the interest of the people, who still had faith in Umno and sympathy for the party.

On Wednesday, Sabah Umno witnessed an exodus with five MPs, nine assemblymen and two senators, announcing their exit from the party, citing the lack of direction in the party.

Today, six more Umno representatives were reported to have quit the party.