Umno Youth has criticised those behind the People's Congress yesterday for dragging the royal institution into their attempt to unseat Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

This comes after former Umno president Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the Save Malaysia group would present a million signatures to the palace seeking Najib's resignation, and urged the rulers to pressure the latter to vacate the post.

However, Umno Youth information chief Jamawi Jaafar said this showed the group has "run out of ideas".

"Their other efforts to topple the government have come to nought so now they want to involve the royal institution to reach their goal.

"I urge the 3M gang – Mahathir, Muhyiddin (Yassin) and Mukhriz (Mahathir) – to stop trying to drag the royal institution into their plot, so as to gain support.

"I also urge them to stop this absurd cooperation with the opposition who are just using them. They are just giving bullets and free publicity to the opposition," he added in a statement.

Jamawi also urged the Umno supreme council to immediately expel Muhyiddin from Umno, for colluding with the opposition. The party number two is now suspended.

Mahathir said the rulers had historically boycotted the swearing in of British governor-general for the Malayan Union, following protests by the people.

He said the fact that the Malayan Union was scrapped after the boycott showed the rulers can pressure for change.

He added that the rulers are already interested in the issue, given their decree urging the government to swiftly resolve the 1MDB issue.