Umno leaders have often boasted of the party's role in gaining independence for the country but former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Umno today was more likely to do the opposite.

"The scoundrels like those in Umno today would never win independence. Thankfully it was led by Tunku Abdul Rahman.

"If it was led by Najib like today, we would have come under the ownership of another country as he had amassed huge debts that we are unable to pay, Mahathir claimed in a Facebook video uploaded on Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia's (Bersatu) Facebook page.

Mahathir, who is Bersatu chairperson, was responding to an event at SK Putrajaya Presint 14(1) which saw students decorating the school with Umno flags and re-enacting the party's role in independence...