I say what I only need to say.....

In Dr. Mahathir Malaysians had a leader of exceptional brilliance, unorthodox convictions, and courageous innovations. He transformed Malaysia. Like any other mortal, he too had his share of mistakes. Unfortunately his uncritical and unabashedly adoring followers were equally blind to his mistakes thus preventing him from recognizing and rectifying them.

Had Malaysians generally and UMNO members specifically been more critical of Mahathir in his choice of a successor for example, the nation would have been spared the current political muddle.

This uncritical and sheep-to-shepherd dynamics also characterize other Asian and Third World societies. Indonesia was blessed with the charismatic and brilliant Sukarno. He united those polyglot islands into a cohesive nation while bravely taking on the Dutch colonialists at the same time. China has its Mao. However, as their uncritical followers did not rein in their leaders’ initial excesses, those leaders got carried away.

-Source : M Bakri Musa "Abdullah Badawi As “Practise Prime Minister”"


Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has endorsed his deputy as his likely successor, despite insisting that he has no plans to resign soon following an election fiasco.

Abdullah identified Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak as his probable successor in line with the ruling party's tradition of political succession. It was the first time Abdullah has clearly identified a successor.


Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, while acknowledging that his predecessor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has strengths and influence, pointedly stated that the latter had misused these to the extent of undermining Umno.

The Umno president and prime minister who had before said that he would not bow to pressure for him to step down, also answered the criticisms levelled against him by Dr Mahathir.

"Tun Dr Mahathir said he was strong, but he has misused that strength. When Barisan Nasional (BN) won big in the 2004 general election, he said (BN was) too strong, not good, needed to have opposition."

"In the recent elections when the opposition did well (winning 82 of the 222 parliamentary seats), we thought he would be celebrating, but he hit out at us instead. Why? "You shouldn't win too many (seats) then, and now you shouldn't win a few?," said Abdullah.

"The rest are all stupid, only Khairy is clever," he said, referring to Dr Mahathir's accusation that Abdullah allowed himself to be influenced by his son- in-law in running the country and in making decisions.

"This accusation is baseless," he said, adding that when Dr Mahathir was prime minister, the government imposed certain restrictions like asking the press not to use the pictures of former prime minister, the late Tun Hussein Onn.

"Ku Li (Tengku Razaleigh) should look at himself, as he was the cause of Kelantan falling into the hands of PAS. While PAS ruled Kelantan, he did once tried to win back the state for BN but he failed." Kelantan fell to PAS in 1990 by cooperating with Semangat 46 led by Tengku Razaleigh then. In the 2004 general election, BN almost wrest back the state when it won 21 of the 45 state seats and one more seat when it won the Pengkalan Pasir by-election in 2005. Abdullah said he had also been informed that Tengku Razaleigh did not assist BN in the March 8 general election.

He also said that he had no problems with his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Razak and that he would be his successor "when the time comes".

- Source : Abdullah Answers Dr Mahathir And Tengku Razaleigh's Criticisms


Meanwhile, Karpal said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, after retiring as prime minister, should have ridden into the sunset in dignity and grace instead of attacking the government of his successor, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The veteran politician said Dr Mahathir, after retirement, should have taken on the mantle of a statesman instead of attacking his own party, Umno, for whose deregistration in 1988, Dr Mahathir was responsible.

Karpal also said that Dr Mahathir should be the last to attack his successor, Abdullah.

"Gutter politics is alien to statesmanship. Dr Mahathir has too many 'political felonies' in his closet. I say those who live in glasshouses should not undress without drawing the curtains. This utterance aptly and amply applies to Dr Mahathir."

Source: "Dr Mahathir Should Have Taken On Mantle Of Statesman After Retirement, Says Karpal"