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Abdullah should
resign, says Dr M
KUALA LUMPUR:
Former premier Tun Dr
Mahathir Mohamad said
yesterday Prime Minister
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
should resign to take full
responsibility for Barisan
Nasional’s massive losses in
the general election.
“I think he should accept
responsibility for this, just
as in 2004, the huge victory
was reportedly due to him,
100%, and that was said by
the then secretary-general
of Umno,” Mahathir told
a news conference hours
after the polls results were
announced.
“But now also he
should accept 100 per
cent responsibility. He
has destroyed Umno, he
has destroyed BN, and he
should be responsible of
this massive defeat.”
Mahathir said it was
shocking that the BN had
been trounced in five states
and the Federal Territory
because of the same signal
sent by all the three major
races – Malay, Chinese and
Indian.
“I think the Japanese
would have committed
harakiri. But I think Malays
are not up to this yet. I think
he should consider stepping
down,” he said, adding
that he would have done
the same thing if he was in
Time for BN to wake up: Ku Li
by Husna Yusop
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PETALING JAYA: Barisan
Nasional (BN) leaders
must wake from their
slumber, face the truth and
accept full responsibility
for their biggest blow in
Saturday’s general election,
Gua Musang MP Tengku
Razaleigh Hamzah said.
He said they should
begin immediately the
process of restoring
themselves, after the party
has been defeated and
shamed on a scale without
precedent in its history.
“Alongside losing our
two-third majority in
Parliament, we have lost a
record number of states to
Abdullah’s shoes now.
To a question on
whether the BN had
miscalculated in holding
the general election early,
Mahathir said he doubted
that postponing it another
year would make any
difference in terms of
results, as “the people’s
dissatisfaction against
Abdullah’s administration
was already boiling over.”
“Four years after the
last election, he has done
so many things which were
wrong but these people
(media) keep on reporting
how the people loved him,”
he said.
Issues leading to the
dissatisfaction against the
government included the
perception that despite
high figures on economic
growth announced by the
government as well as the
launch of development
corridors, the people on
the ground did not feel
anything (its benefits).
“They have observed
that this government is run
by one family for the family.
As long as you have that
kind of arrangement where
family takes precedence
over the cabinet, over the
government itself, I think
people would want to go
against them,” he said.
Answering another
the Opposition, including
the premier state and the
home state of the prime
minister. This is not just a
blow to BN and Umno but
to the nation as a whole.
“We now face a period
of uncertainty. BN and
Umno’s legitimacy and
strength have been the
bedrock of national unity
and of Malaysia’s successful
development since
Independence. All this is
now in question.”
In a statement issued
yesterday, Tengku
Razaleigh added that
the electorate’s rejection
of BN in key areas has
serious consequences on
BN’s ability to execute its
national development plans.
| MONDAY MARCH 10 2008
ORIENTALDAILYPIX
Mahathir
gives his
views on
Abdullah’s
status at
his Kuala
Lumpur
home early
yesterday.
question, he said it was up
to Umno to decide on his
successor should the latter
step down, or probably
Datuk Seri Najib Abdul
Razak could take over.
“Datuk Seri Najib
has scored an amazing
victory, more than the
2004 result when it was
the best year for BN. His
majority increased while
Abdullah’s decreased quite
significantly,” he said.
Mahathir said a
government formed with a
simple majority was a weak
government, especially in a
multi,racial country which
could cause instability,
among others, and later
affect investors’ confidence.
He, however, said
there was hope yet for the
BN to rectify the damage,
provided it took note of the
signal sent by the people.
To another question,
Mahathir said he believed
it would be difficult for
Abdullah to step down
voluntarily as, until
now, Abdullah still did
not comprehend the
ramifications of the losses
and put the blame of the
defeat on the people instead.
Expressing his sadness
over the losses, the former
premier said he did not
expect BN to lose to such an
extent. – Bernama
“We have won enough
seats to form a federal
government by simple
majority, but because of
our losses, including our
stunning defeat in the
Malay heartland states of
Kedah and Kelantan, people
are now saying that Umno
has lost its legitimacy to
represent the Malays,” he
said.
The other BN component
parties have already lost
their leadership role as
representatives of the other
major races of this country,
he said.
“This is a historic crisis,
and we must face it without
further denial, self-
deception or media spin,”
Tengku Razaleigh said.