LANGKAWI • Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has warned that those working to unseat his son as Kedah Menteri Besar will lead Barisan Nasional (BN) to its doom in the next general election.

"I'm not saying don't change the Menteri Besar, but know the consequences," the former prime minister was quoted as saying in The Star Online yesterday.

This is his first public comment on the matter after a group of Umno leaders said last Wednesday they wanted Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir out.

"They caused Barisan to lose to PAS (in 2008). So if they take over, the likelihood is that they will lose in the next election," said Dr Mahathir, referring to the ruling coalition's defeat to the opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia.

Asked what advice he had for his son, Dr Mahathir said: "Anything can happen in politics. Nothing is permanent. You have friends and enemies. You can expect friends to behave like enemies, and sometimes enemies will behave like friends."

Mr Mukhriz's detractors were confident that if their move to oust him went according to plan, there could be a new head in Kedah as of yesterday.

The group that initiated the revolt claimed that it has got 19 - two from the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and 17 from Umno - out of 21 BN assemblymen in the state to sign statutory declarations to unseat the menteri besar.

But MCA told the Malaysiakini news site yesterday its two representatives were not approached.