Like father like son?

Shades of 40 years ago when the Opposition also won big

KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 — Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir today borrowed a leaf out of his father’s playbook, and issued an open letter to Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi asking him to resign as prime minister and president of Umno.

By taking this route, Mukhriz, the MP for Jerlun, is following what Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad did in 1969. Nearly 40 years ago, Mahathir blamed Tunku Abdul Rahman for the May 13 race riots and for pandering to Chinese interests and said that he should do the honorable thing and step down.

The letter was widely distributed and Mahathir was sacked from the party by the Umno Supreme Council. It is likely that Mukhriz will face the same punishment from the party’s highest decision-making body, which only this week rallied around Abdullah after the major reverses of Election 2008.

Still, this letter is likely to galvanise the anti-Abdullah forces in the party and could lead to a difficult period for Umno, already fractured and in a soul-searching mode after seeing the Opposition win control of five states. The only winner in this period of infighting for Umno will be Anwar Ibrahim, well-placed to take advantage of any implosion in Umno.

In his letter, Mukhriz says that the message from Malaysians is that they have rejected Abdullah as the nation’s chief executive. “Contrary to your claim that you still have the support of Umno and other component parties, the reality is that even our own party members had reneged in their voting pattern by supporting the Opposition and inflicting the BN its defeat.”

Mukhriz said that Abdullah’s leadership and handling of issues are no longer accepted by the people and nation. “Let’s not deny the truth just for the sake of keeping your seat as Prime Minister.

“We can save Umno, the BN and the nation only if you relinquish your positions as Prime Minister and president of Umno… I am sure you will do the right thing for the sake of the people and the nation. May Allah bless you for the sacrifice you make by stepping down,” he wrote.

Besides the letter writers being related, there are other parallels between 1969 and now. Then, as now, the Chinese vote deserted BN. Then, as now, a member of the Razak family is waiting in the wings to take over the top post in the party.

Then as now, the political situation in the country has been turned on its head following surprising gains by the Opposition in the election.

It is unlikely that the party will force Abdullah out now — before he has had the opportunity to steady the ship.

Read the letter in full from Mukhriz.



http://themalaysianinsider.com/mni/like-father-like-son.html