KUALA LUMPUR, April 13 — The superheated bid by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to topple Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has naturally drawn the close attention of our closest neighbour, Singapore.
In what it called "Mahathir's last stand", the island republic's leading newspaper The Straits Times yesterday said "the political mudslinging and blame game stemming from last month's polls have reopened the debate on Tun Dr Mahathir's legacy".
While Umno's stunning losses in Election 2008 had provided the new launch pad for the former prime minister's attack on Pak Lah, it suggested that this has brought on a growing view that Umno's defeat in five states represented a "final verdict" on Dr M's 22-year rule.
While there is widespread anger within Umno towards Datuk Seri Abdullah, it said, his main fault was a lack of political will to bring about an overhaul of institutions that "Mahathir emasculated".
The Opposition, ST noted, had also weighed in by striking out at the former premier, seen to have been responsible for "assaults against independent public institutions, rampant corruption, racial tensions and economic fiascos".
Dr M had insisted he had done nothing wrong and Malaysians, the ST said, are beginning to have a less charitable view of the Mahathir years, also associated with a sustained period of heady economic growth.
While Abdullah's current position is seen as untenable, "the big question is whether he will be able to engineer a dignified political exit before Umno holds its own party polls some time in December. But his exit will not help rehabilitate Umno," according to ST.
The Straits Times makes this conclusion: "The Mahathir years were Malaysia's most tumultuous. They will require careful examination to bring about the reforms Malaysia must undertake to move ahead."(Malaysian Insider)
JITRA, April 13 — Although retired and not directly involved in the country's administration, former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is still highly respected and his credibility incomparable, said his son and Jerlun MP Mukhriz.
That was the reason why the Opposition party DAP was paying special attention to Dr Mahathir, he explained yesterday. "Although my father retired five years ago, his political influence is still strong. And although the DAP chairman Karpal Singh regards my father as a clown, it was indeed difficult for Karpal to get the better of him as a politician when my father was helming the country."
"This 'clown' served as prime minister for 22 years and had won four or five general elections," he told reporters after a water-pipe installation ceremony at Kampung Telaga Jambu, Pida 2 in Jerlun.
"Karpal and Lim Kit Siang (now DAP adviser), on the other hand, before had lost badly in the general election to the Barisan Nasional led by Dr Mahathir. So if a 'clown' could trounce Karpal, then he (Karpal) is worse than a clown."
Mukhriz said this when asked to comment on Karpal's press statement, saying that Dr Mahathir should not attempt to revive his political career by involving in politics, and calling him a clown.
Mukhriz, who is also a Umno Youth executive committee member, said Karpal asking Dr Mahathir to stop criticising the country's current leadership showed his vested interest.
"Each time when the Opposition, especially Karpal, issued such a statement (against Dr Mahathir), we would want to know why. I believe he had certain reasons to do so," he said. — Bernama
Dr M wants Abdullah to step down NOWKUALA LUMPUR, April 12 ─ Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad wants Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to step down as party president now.
He said that by clinging on to power Abdullah would only throw Umno into a further state of chaos, following the election on March 8.
His comments, made at a post-election session in Kajang, come a day after Johor Umno decided that it would continue to support Abdullah as the party president and PM.
The division leaders in the Umno stronghold also decided that Abdullah should set a timetable for political succession with Datuk Seri Najib Razak after the party polls in December.
This move by Johor did not go down well with Dr Mahathir, who has been pressing Abdullah to take responsibility for the poor performance of Barisan Nasional candidates in Election 2008.
"The transition must happen now. This is to avoid a split in the party," he said at a press conference after delivering an address on the leadership crisis post-March 8.
He blamed the mainstream media for misreporting the Johor Umno meeting with Abdullah yesterday, claiming that although the state leaders supported their party president, they also wanted the transition to happen now.
The Insider learnt that last week when Johor Umno met, the sentiment was that Abdullah should be given the message that he should hand over power to Najib before the December polls.
But that position changed and during Friday's meeting, Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Ghani Othman said that the state Umno wanted a smooth transition of power and hoped that a detailed plan could be worked out between Abdullah and Najib after the December polls.
Dr Mahathir is likely to continue punching holes in Johor Umno's stand and push for other states to force Abdullah's hand before the party polls in December.
He and other critics of Abdullah cannot afford the Abdullah-Najib tag team to go into the polls without constitutional amendments being made to the quota requirement. Under the party constitution, only those who obtain 30 per cent of support from the divisions can contest for the party president's position.
If there is traction for the Johor Umno stand, then it will be difficult for any of Dr Mahathir's nominees or Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah to get the 58 nominations.
In his speech, Dr Mahathir said that it was the PM's leadership which led to the ruin of Barisan Nasional component parties such as the MCA, MIC, Gerakan and PPP.
He ticked off those who wanted to take action against Umno members who had voted for the Opposition or who had sabotaged their own candidates. (Malaysian Insider)
Malaysia's Mahathir urges PM to quit now to save reputation
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) — Former Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad has called on Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to resign immediately, saying his reputation will be shredded if he insists on staying on in the top job.
Mahathir renewed his campaign to oust Abdullah shortly after the prime minister reportedly told his party he would hold discussions after December internal party polls on a handover of power to his deputy Najib Razak.
"For his own good he should step down now because then (the transition) will be very smooth but if you wait until the (party polls) you don't know what the people are going to say," Mahathir said late Saturday.
"There may be rude remarks, they may say, 'Why don't you go?' You know, all the kinds of nasty accusations, finger pointing," he told reporters after addressing 1,000 United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) members.
"If he waits until the elections, it will cause a major split within the party because those who support him and those who oppose him will clash at the assembly."
Abdullah has faced persistent calls to quit after the coalition lost its two-thirds majority in parliament and control of five states in an unprecedented setback in March 8 general elections.
He has claimed a mandate to rule, but confirmed that Najib will succeed him, in line with the tradition of his UMNO which heads the coalition.
Mahathir's comments came after Abdullah took partial responsibility for the party's electoral losses at an UMNO meeting in southern Johor state.
"I'm partly to blame," Abdullah said according to weekend reports in which he also responded to calls by UMNO leaders in the northern states of Kedah and Penang for him to step down in favour of Najib.
"There have been demands... it does not matter that they want to express themselves on the matter of stepping down," he said according to the official Bernama news agency.
"I am not one who is going to retain the leadership forever," he added.
Party vice president Muhyiddin Yassin said Abdullah told the Johor gathering he will discuss a transition of power to Najib, with the talks to take place after the December internal UMNO polls, Bernama reported.
"The period of transition and so on were not mentioned in detail... matters such as when the transition will take place and so on will be discussed between him and... Najib," Muhyiddin told Bernama.
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