KUALA LUMPUR, March 2 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s resignation from Umno was not unexpected, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today.

The Umno president also said the former prime minister’s decision to quit for a second time should not distract the party from its struggle.

“For Umno, we will continue with our agenda because we have many duties that we must fulfill.

“I hope we can focus on issues me must champion so that Umno can be strengthened to face all challenges especially the coming elections,” he was quoted as saying by national news agency Bernama.

Najib was speaking in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where he is on a four-day working trip.

Dr Mahathir announced his exit from Umno on Monday, after claiming that the party has become a vehicle to protect its leadership.

When asked if Dr Mahathir’s resignation will be detrimental to Umno, Najib pointed out that this was not the first time that the former party president has decided to quit.

According to Najib, the greatest impact would have been when Dr Mahathir resigned in 2008 as part of his campaign then to force handpicked successor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi from office.

“But by the second time, many people will assume that this will not have so much impact as to threaten Umno’s position,” he said.

Najib then said it was up to other Umno members if they wished to follow Dr Mahathir in leaving, but said the leadership was committed to Umno and working with him to reinforce the party.

He also said it was not Umno that was rejecting Dr Mahathir and that he was not a leader who was only concerned about his own position as alleged, but one who was openly elected by the party’s 160,000 delegates.

Speculation that Dr Mahathir would enlist with the opposition began following the announcement of his resignation, but the former prime minister yesterday rejected this possibility by saying the only party he would join is Umno.