An Umno leader has urged former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to face the party in the upcoming polls, instead of demonising it via online statements.

"If Tun (Mahathir) feels that Umno is ‘evil’ and has to be defeated, let's meet at the 15th general election. Let the people decide."

Shahril was responding to Mahathir's statement yesterday that former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's imprisonment would not “cleanse” Umno of its corruption-tainted image.