KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 ― It not likely that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will attend this year's Umno assembly given the former prime minister's attacks against the current party leadership, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said today.

The Umno secretary-general said that the party has not yet decided on whether to invite Dr Mahathir, but surmised that such a gesture would be an exercise in futility.

“Even if we did invite Dr Mahathir, he won't come.

“Personally, I think he won't attend. Lately he has always been attacking the party. Whatever it is we just wait and see...whether we want to invite him or not,” Tengku Adnan said during an interview with several media organisations yesterday.

Dr Mahathir has been one of Datuk Seri Najib Razak's most vocal critics and has repeatedly demanded the Prime Minister resign over the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) controversy, which is under investigation by government agencies in several countries, including Hong Kong, Switzerland and the UK.

Dr Mahathir has even urged Malaysians to use their “people power” to push for Najib’s removal through a no-confidence vote in Parliament.

He has also criticised Putrajaya for its use of an anti-terrorism law to detain two critics of 1MDB and accused the government of abusing the law to silence dissenters.