Umno must think long and hard on whether it wants to continue beating itself up by defending its scandal-ridden president Najib Abdul Razak, or look towards a future away from the prime minister's stigma, says a political analyst.

"Umno warlords should ask: how can we live after Najib? It is completely naive to think Najib can survive long after the 14th general election (GE14), even if Umno manages to scrap through the election," Penang Institute fellow Wong Chin Huat told Malaysiakini .

However, any move to divorce Umno from Najib will be fraught with dangers for those initiating it, for not only will it be difficult to dislodge the now well-entrenched party chief, it may also shake the Malay party to its very foundation, Wong said.