LANGKAWI, MALAYSIA: Datuk Seri Najib Razak's continued allegiance to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will only hasten Umno's downfall, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said.

He said Abdullah had fared badly as Umno president and prime minister in the last general election and Najib's continued support for him would only cause the party to fall faster.

"Abdullah's own state of Penang was badly beaten and now Najib says he will stand by his boss.

"I think Najib may also soon kiss the premiership goodbye," he said when met here last night.

Dr Mahathir and his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, were here to spend the weekend with friends.

He was asked to comment on the deputy prime minister's recent announcement that he would not betray Abdullah and that he would help to strengthen Umno.

Dr Mahathir said when Abdullah and Najib were in his cabinet, Umno and Barisan Nasional never fared badly in a general election as had happened in the March 8 elections.

"Now Najib wants to continue supporting Abdullah and this makes Umno's downfall imminent."