KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad should return to active politics and become the official opposition leader instead of attacking the Barisan Nasional (BN) from the rear, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak said.

The Sabah Umno deputy chief noted the 91-year-old former prime minister has been spearheading a global campaign against incumbent Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and might as well take on the official duty to lead the opposition to go toe-to-toe with the BN at the next general elections due in two years.

“Taking an official leadership position in the opposition is morally the right thing for Tun Mahathir to do.

“He should oppose BN openly as an opposition politician, instead of backstabbing using his status as a former BN leader,” Salleh said in a statement late last night.

The senator also said the opposition parties “are in total disarray” and “obviously need help” in order to fulfil their role as a shadow government, having been defeated at the polls thrice this year.

He urged the opposition to officially invite Dr Mahathir to join its ranks and leadership to prove its “sincerity”, after having the latter openly campaign for Parti Amanah Negara’s candidates in the two recently-concluded parliamentary by-elections in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar.

The ruling BN coalition trounced the Amanah and PAS candidates in both Peninsular Malaysia seats by a four-figure vote majority, following its victory in last month’s Sarawak election where it swept 72 out of the 82 seats in the state legislative assembly.

Dr Mahathir who served as prime minister for 22 long years till 2003 has been a vocal critic of the Najib administration in recent years.

In March, he stepped to the fore of a motley gathering of activists and politicians critical of the government calling itself Save Malaysia to push for Najib’s resignation.

PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is officially the current opposition leader in Parliament, but she is seen to be little more than a proxy for her husband and former opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who is currently serving a six-year jail term for sodomy.