Akmal noted that Mahathir, who is now calling for Malay unity, had once allegedly tried to ban Umno while in power.

“Thank you. We appreciate the offer. But we remember what happened,” Akmal said in a Facebook post.

“Now that he no longer holds office, his tune has changed,” Akmal said.

He also questioned the motives behind the call for unity, warning that it should not be used to serve personal interests.

“If we’re serious about uniting the Malays, it must come from sincere intentions rooted in love for our religion and race — not from a desire for personal gain,” he added.

Yesterday, Mahathir said he will invite Umno members to join his new Malay unity alliance in an effort to “restore Malay power” in the government.

He stressed, however, that he was not inviting Umno as a party to join the alliance.

The group, which includes PAS and Bersatu, is not a political party but a coalition aimed at protecting the political and economic future of the Malays, he said.

Last August, Mahathir, a former Umno president, denied an allegation by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that he (Mahathir) tried to have the party banned.