Dr Mahathir's gambit -- from an MSM vantage

Desiderata will feature only two news reports on the main protagonists in the next scene of the Sandiwara on the PWTC Stage. The final curtains are ready to fall.

On other accounts, please invest RM1.20 on The People's Paper which must be selling better in view of the March 8 political Tsunami, and now the after-shocks.

Tuesday May 20, 2008

Dr M quits Umno


ALOR STAR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has announced he is quitting Umno, in what is seen as his final push to force Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to step down as Prime Minister and party president.

His wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali has also quit, according to his website www.chedet.com

Dr Mahathir also called on Umno members to join him in this radical move, which he likened to “removing gangrene” in order for the party to survive.

Except for two party veterans and one branch in the Merbok division, there were no other takers.


Fans gather: Several people surrounding Dr Mahathir (centre) as he leaves the forum venue after announcing he was quitting Umno in Alor Star Monday.

Abdullah, who expressed shock at Dr Mahathir's decision, however, reiterated that he would not give in to the pressure from the former premier.

Party deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak offered to meet Dr Mahathir to “discuss the decision” to quit.

Dr Mahathir has been on the warpath against Abdullah since 2004, claiming his successor was unfit for the job and has stepped up his attacks after Barisan Nasional's disastrous results in the March 8 general election.

Related Stories:

(Which Desi won't LINK as he does not wish to make any ER a lazy BUMmer like him. One is more than enough at Desi's Place!:): But to show I am democratic in Blogospheric overage, even on UMNO affairs, I gift my ER the Dr Mahathir's target's views after this! -- YL Chong

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Dr M cuts ties with Umno
PM refuses to be cowed by ‘shocking’ decision
PAS man lit the ‘resignation’ fuse
Najib: I’m willing to meet Dr M
A desperate plea to Umno
Reconsider decision, Ka Chuan urges Mahathir
Umno leaders shocked at move
Ku Li: I’ll stay to fight Abdullah
Mahathir’s decision a blessing, says Musa
Dissatisfaction against leadership
A contest of wills and wiles
Nik Aziz happy with Dr M’s move
300 Merbok branch members take the cue from Dr Mahathir
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's journey in Umno

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Tuesday May 20, 2008
PM refuses to be cowed by ‘shocking’ decision


KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he will not bow to pressure from former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to resign as prime minister and Umno president.

He said he was “shocked and surprised” over Dr Mahathir’s sudden decision to quit Umno, calling the move a drastic action.

He also said the resignation and call to other members to quit would not shatter the party as Umno had over three million members.

“Maybe some will leave but I believe most of them still love Umno. I don’t know what Umno members are going to do but I would like to believe that the members will not leave,” he said.

He urged Umno members to be taat setia (loyal) to the party and stay strong to continue the party’s struggle just like when it was first founded, adding that Umno’s existence was due to member loyalty.

“I, as an Umno member, from the beginning until now, have never left the party and I will continue to fight for the party.

“Umno has contributed much to the country and the people of all races, and we want Umno to continue the struggle,” he said after meeting party vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam here yesterday.

Abdullah hoped that Umno members would think carefully before making any decision.

He believed that the majority of party members would stay true to Umno.

“Leaving Umno means leaving Barisan Nasional, that’s what it is,” he said, adding that he also believed that those who were likely to quit would not be among the MPs.

He said this when asked to comment on whether the resignation of Umno MPs would reduce the number of Barisan MPs in Parliament.

Abdullah also said he did not see why he should quit as Umno president and prime minister, as he “still had work to do”.

On whether he would meet Dr Mahathir personally to advise him against his decision, he said: “Don’t ask me that question.”

He also refused to comment on Dr Mahathir’s statement that the latter would only return to the party when Abdullah steps down from his party and government positions.

PS: I spend quite some time -- "quite" here can mean either "a little", "substantial", or "a lot" your pick! as I often say, I am pretty democratic wit' my ER who have a SENse of humour buying Desi tehtari'! -- surfing Blogs, and at rockybru's just now, I spied a Commenter's comment (what else you ask!) which I find worthwhile to reproduce here.

I tried to get the Commenter's permission as I seldom reprise other Comments at mGf's blogs -- but this one calls for exception, as inlife, one cannot be absolutely stickily inflexible. But when I mouse-d on ,it led to a non-active blogsite...or rather access is not open to BUMmers like Desi, I dunno y!:(

"Dear MarGeeMar if you are reading this by 1-1,000 chance: emailme via chongyl2000@yahoo.com and I buy thee tehtari', even lamb,, at Lingam's,kambing?"

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MarGeeMar said...

Malaysiakini reported today that former PM Mahathir has quit Umno. It also reported that former Kedah MB and former Agriculture Minister Sanusi Junid has also quit. It appears to me that Mahathir is trying to use Kurt Lewins philosophy of change management by asking Umno members to leave Umno now but rejoin it after Badawi 'has left the building'. This is akin to Lewins’ Freeze-Change-Unfreeze mechanism in Managing Change.

The only problem here is that the Umno members by now wouldn’t want to gamble with their political careers but would be pretty enticing and justifiable for them to be Independent MP’s, meaning they are neither BN or Pakatan Rakyat (PR). When this happens, we would actually have an interesting scenario where Pakatan Rakyat will come to power by default without even needing the ‘kataks’ (frogs) as PR will be able to form a minority Government with BN fragmented.

Why to do think former DPM Musa Hitam’s protégé Shahrir Samad is talking about a possible snap election? These UMNO racists will try anything now just to stay in power, as they know their days are numbered. The greatest fear the BN/UMNO politicians and their benefactors have is that when PR comes to power, you can just imagine the amount of dirt the new Pakatan Rakyat government will expose for all to see. You can expect even Bukit Aman to be turned inside out. Even IGP Musa Hassan’s toilet will not be spared. Say your prayers folks, for the Day of Judgement is at hand for BN/Umno and their cronies!

As for Mahathir’s use of Kurt Lewin’s Change Model for Umno, I’m afraid Mamak Tongkang’s plan will only backfire. You see, Umno, Gapena, Majlis Pemuafakatan Melayu must come to a realization that communal politics in Malaysia is history. No amount of Keris rattling is going to bring Malay support back to Umno. The same goes to non-Malay support for non-Malay BN component parties. Today, a new dawn has come to Malaysia. Today, we call ourselves as Bangsa Malaysia. Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Ibans, Eurasians don’t exist in this country any more. It only exists in our DNA. We are Malaysians for Ketuanan Rakyat! We are Bangsa Malaysia! Hidup Malaysia!
11:01 PM

DESIDERATA salutes the last point I highlighted, thus:

"... Today, we call ourselves as Bangsa Malaysia. Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Ibans, Eurasians don’t exist in this country any more. It only exists in our DNA. We are Malaysians for Ketuanan Rakyat! We are Bangsa Malaysia! Hidup Malaysia!"