By Joceline Tan

PETALING JAYA, MALAYSIA: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been persuaded to rejoin Umno after three months out of the party.

However, he has also decided to support Gua Musang MP and his former nemesis Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah for the post of Umno president in the party elections in December.

Former Umno secretary-general Tan Sri Sabaruddin Chik (pic), who disclosed this, said these were among the matters discussed at a private meeting at Dr Mahathir's Cyberjaya residence last Saturday.

Besides Dr Mahathir and Sabaruddin, the meeting also involved Umno vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Tengku Razaleigh and former secretary-general Tan Sri Sanusi Junid.

Sabaruddin said Muhyiddin's role at the meeting was to invite Dr Mahathir to rejoin Umno.

He declined comment when asked whether the International Trade and Industry Minister's presence at the meeting implied that he might be considering running with Tengku Razaleigh for the two top posts in Umno.

Dr Mahathir, who has been a vocal critic of his hand-picked successor Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, quit Umno in May, saying that he would only return to Umno when there was a leadership change.

"Why is it surprising that Dr Mahathir wishes to rejoin Umno" He only wants to save Umno and the Barisan Nasional.

However, the decision whether to reaccept Dr Mahathir into Umno rests with the supreme council.