Dr M: Handover pact will not restore Umno, BN

Dr M: Handover pact will not restore Umno, BN

Dr Mahathir said he wants to ‘right his wrongs’.

By Shannon Teoh

PORT DICKSON, July 12 —

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed today renewed calls for Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to step down immediately but said the no-confidence motion by the Opposition on Monday would not achieve this.

"Not in 2010, not in December, but now to give Datuk Seri Najib time to restore Umno," he told over 300 paying guests at Port Dickson Golf Club, referring to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak's agreement to take over then.

Dr Mahathir stated that Abdullah had inherited a strong party but in four years since the strong showing at the 2004 election had caused a sharp decline in the fortunes of BN.

"He cannot restore the party because what people want is for him to resign, and then the support will return to BN."

Despite this, the veteran politician called the attempt to table a no-confidence motion in Abdullah by the opposition "just a show" that would not achieve much.

"They would need BN MPs to take their side and only two from SAPP will join them.

It would've been more effective if SAPP had submitted the motion themselves."

He also said Najib was a shining star before becoming deputy prime minister, after which he became a yes-man and lost his credibility.

"Will his support for Abdullah over the next two years make him stronger or weaker? He should be allowed to work with the grassroots immediately."

In his speech, the former prime minister also owned up to his mistake of appointing Abdullah as his successor but said that the blame should be shared by all Umno members as they had voted him in as vice-president II behind Najib while Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was deputy president.

"Abdullah had supported Tengku Razaleigh when he challenged me but delegates made him a supreme council member and then a vice-president.

So after Anwar had to go, I appointed him because of the support he had and his Mr Clean image.

"But now we must fix this mistake. That is why I am not just sitting at home — I want to right my wrongs," Dr Mahathir added.

While he acknowledged that he believed Najib had made a pact with current vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, he refused to endorse the pact.

He claimed, however, that the 2010 date was a strategy by Abdullah to halt Najib's presidency bid and would lead to negative effects.

"What if Muhyiddin persists in running for deputy president? If he beats Najib, can he still be appointed prime minister?

This will only extend the political uncertainty."

He also touched on V.K. Lingam and Tun Salleh Abas cases, calling both conspiracies to discredit him.

He also confirmed his belief that Anwar is a "good friend of America" as he met with Paul Wolfowitz, an influential pro-Israel American conservative, while in Munich after being released from prison and also constantly invited senators and members of congress to Malaysia when he was in government.

Former Kedah Menteri Besar Tan Sri Sanusi Junid, who quit Umno with Dr Mahathir earlier this year, was also present and quipped that if Abdullah could lose four states and Kuala Lumpur in four years, "God willing he will lose another three by 2010."

kzso - najib, muhyiddin and umno members... pls take heed of tun dr mahathir advise; he's been in politics for more than 60 years, surely he sees something that others don't see and expect