Not your business, Pak Lah tells Dr M

KOTA KINABALU, Oct 18 – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi lashed out at Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, whom he described as behaving like the party elections director who decides “the leaders in the Umno party and whom should be removed”.

He said Umno had never needed instructions from leaders who were not in the party.

“Who is Tun (Dr Mahathir) who has left Umno and trying to issue orders to Umno people which should be followed?

“He is behaving like the director for the party elections, determining so and so should hold such a position ... this person should hold this position, who needs to be in the party, who needs to be removed. What right has he to do this?,” he said at a press conference at Kota Kinabalu International Airport, here tonight.

Abdullah said this when commenting on Dr Mahathir’s statement wanting Umno delegates to “remove Abdullah’s men” in the party elections in March.

“Actually he wants to create changes, anger and hatred.

“Is it really wrong for people to work with me. Should those people who don’t speak and don’t make noise be considered as bad people...people who have never done good for Umno and the government.

“Who is he to make such decisions. This will create hatred among Umno members, teaching Umno members to quarrel among themselves,” he said.

Abdullah said he had decided not to defend his Umno presidency to avoid quarrels among party members.

“Because of the contests which normally happen especially at the top level, there will be splits. We should learn from what had happened in the past.

“Such talks will raise anger among those who are considered unacceptable, (those who) must be sidelined. I consider what Tun had done had actually led to quarrels within Umno,” he said.

According to the Prime Minister, what Dr Mahathir had called for would not bring any good.

“Is this the reform that we want...We have freedom, every Umno member has the freedom to contest.

“I hear that there was an attempt by someone to ask Ali Rustam (Malacca Chief Minister), who wants to contest the deputy president’s post, to withdraw ... why ask Ali to withdraw? What is bad about Ali?

“Let him contest and let Umno people decide whether they want Ali or otherwise,” he said.

In this matter, Umno members did not need outsiders to give orders.

“It’s better for Tun not to speak at all today,” he said. – Bernama