PEKAN (BERNAMA) - Former prime minister Najib Razak on Friday (Sept 21) questioned why Umno MPs were deserting the party when it is facing testing times.

He said that as individuals given the trust to lead by Umno, they should be loyal to the party and its struggle.

"We must remain loyal to the party no matter the situation... whether we are in power or not," Najib told reporters on the sidelines of an event at the Chini state constituency in his home town of Pekan.

"What more during this time when the party needs us the most," the Pekan MP said.

Najib was commenting on the departure of Umno stalwarts Mustapa Mohamed and Anifah Aman this week.

Datuk Seri Mustapa, the minister for international trade and industry under the previous Barisan Nasional coalition that was ousted at the May general election, quit Umno on Tuesday, saying he felt that the party was straying from its struggle. The MP for Jeli in Kelantan also said he was quitting the party as he felt that it was no longer inclusive.

His departure was followed closely by that of Datuk Seri Anifah, formerly the foreign minister. He said he was leaving as he had failed to deliver on his promise to ensure that Sabah's status in the federation was restored as per the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

Najib is currently facing a slew of corruption, criminal breach of trust and abuse of power charges.