Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad systematically destroying the National Front government Having said this, we should now ask ourselves this all-important question. What are we to make of this episode? Is it serious enough to hurt the credibility, functioning of the UPA government? The answer: Yes, it is serious but probably only as much as any intermittent bickering within any large organisation or party. We tend to think of UMNO as a massive, monolithic block forgetting that they are composed of individuals and factions with different and often competing interests both at the bottom and the top. Individuals at the bottom are numerous and they are foot soldiers or smaller leaders but the higher you go the people become more important
Seldom has the saying been more true than now that the rumour mills of UMNO grind slowly, but they grind exceeding small. The political grapevine of the capital is abuzz with a whispered earful — or perhaps that should be yearful, in that it might continue doing the rounds of gossip for a year — that the PM is keeping a close tab on Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his gang Perhaps foremost of the rumours about the watchful PM who seems to be taking all too seriously the saying that constant vigilance is the price we pay for democracy is that he took to task Mukhriz Mahathir Menteri Besar Kedah Darul Aman for alleged ‘misconduct’. This led to the further rumour that this signalled a supposed rift between the PM and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad While both and the PM’s close confidant,Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan , were quick to deny any such schism, other rumours cropped up which seemed to corroborate the PM’s image as one who exemplifies the saying that duty lies in the eyes of the beholder. According to such tittle-tattle,Najib seems to be both omnipresent and omniscient in spotting the most minor deviation from the straight and narrow on the part of his party colleagues.The PM’s reputation as an all-seeing visionary has been further buttressed by another apocryphal tale regarding another nameless minister who was having dinner with an unidentified tycoon in a five-star hotel, in contravention of Najib’s injunction that UMNO members shouldn’t be seen rubbing shoulders with Big Business lest such proximity invite the charge of ‘crony capitalism’.It’s not known if the PM is familiar with the legend of the tea plantation manager with a glass eye which he would pop out and place on a tea bush, thus convincing the workers that the boss was watching them even while he was having a leisurely lunch at home. But like that mythical manager, the far-sighted PM merits from all those under his supervision the assenting chorus of ‘Eye, eye, sir’!A phone call allegedly emanating from the PMO is said to have summoned the erring Minister from his unfinished meal, thereby showing that those who get their just deserts don’t always get their just desserts.
No way remote control pm can stay in office
But it didn’t work, so the country’s longest-serving Prime Minister had to take his complaints and criticisms out in the open for all to see, no matter if UMNO’s political foes take advantage of it. This isn’t the first time that Dr Mahathir has publicly dropped support for an UMNO President. He did it to Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi two years ahead of the 2008 general elections.
The UMNO Information Chief said although he respected Dr Mahathir,he felt that the veteran politician should have been circumspect with his criticism of Najib’s leadership. “Please bear in mind that the situation and circumstances during Mahathir’s times are different from Najib, both economically and politically,” he said during a speech at the Seputeh UMNO meeting today.This is the thing with UMNO politicians who cannot argue with Dr Mahathir, who was in power for more than 22 years. Instead of arguing with him point for point, UMNO politicians insist they respect him but the circumstances are different.
Power struggles in political parties can be messy affairs. Ugly, especially if the protagonists are senior respected party officials with powerful following of their own. The sensational headlines they create can harm a party’s reputation and damage government functioning. How different is it? UMNO and Barisan Nasional (BN) still hold Putrajaya. They still control the mass media. They run the economy and under Najib, have put several transformation programmes for the country to be a high-income nation come 2020. But they have yet to argue that Najib’s policies have worked although Putrajaya’s efficiency agency, Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) says that the policies are working.A timid Najib is not match for the tempestuous, arrogant Mahatjr who considered his the egos are bigger.
Wake Up, Prime Minister vs An Outspoken Gutsy Leader Pro Mahathir sensationalism and the sleeping PM Najib
Datuk Seri Najib Razak today refused to be drawn into the controversy surrounding Tun Dr Mahathir's Mohamad's criticism against him, which he described as an internal Umno matter.
The prime minister said it was enough that a number of Umno leaders had already commented and expressed their views on the former prime minister’s grouses.
"Most of the leaders in Umno already gave their statements. I see this as an Umno stance and they have given their support to the current leadership, while at the same time respecting Tun (Dr Mahathir) as a veteran.
Perhaps the point is lost on UMNO Information Chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad did complain and criticise Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak privately.
Let’s put in perspective what Dr Mahathir said this past week was carried only by the online media and not the mainstream electronic and print media. “I have tried to give my views to him directly, which are also the views of many people who have met me,” wrote Dr Mahathir on his popular blog, chedet.cc.
The reason why I am saying this is as follows: Very often, an issue becomes big in the public mind due to saturated media coverage but loses relevance very quickly and drops out of the front pages. The public attributes this to media fickleness but it may not be that. It may be something else. May be the issue was wrongly positioned. It was considered controversial but a deeper examination revealed that there was nothing controversial about it. How and why did the media realise suddenly that it has no legs and is no longer worth pursuing? Did it have something to do with the fact that the details of the case are so murky and complex and that there were legitimate grounds to be suspicious of accusations of Najib's involvement?
“This has not been effective so I have to criticise. I have no choice but to withdraw my support,” he said, adding that Najib was no better than his predecessor, Tun Abdullah Badawi.
Dr Mahathir said he had hoped Najib learnt lessons from his poor performance in the last general election but it appeared that he had not. “Many policies, approaches and actions taken by the government under Najib have destroyed inter-racial ties, the economy and the country’s finances,” he wrote, citing the BR1M direct cash aid and kow-towing to foreign countries.
This isn’t new from Dr Mahathir. He has articulated this in the past in his blog and several forums in the past year. So why bother asking him to continue criticising in private when it has not worked?This is the same mentality as having no-contests in Umno elections, which was the standard practice when UMNO was reconstituted after being made illegal in 1988.
So times have changed, as Ahmad Maslan says. But UMNO elections are still the same no-contests as in Dr Mahathir’s time to ensure party unity. If there is truly a change in situation, UMNO politicians like Ahmad Maslan should take it upon themselves to reply to Dr Mahathir point by point. Respect Dr Mahathir by arguing with him, not asking him to criticise in private.
No comments:
Post a Comment