Malaysia's once-dominant Umno is in disarray, with earlier talk of a triumphant comeback giving way to concerns of further disintegration, after the exit of two senior former ministers last week just days before its annual general assembly.

This weekend's national congress is the first since Umno suffered a shock election defeat in May, losing its six-decade grip on power. Until last week, the country's largest Malay party had been hawking itself as the largest bloc in Parliament, ready to form new alliances.