> PM Lashes Dr.M

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 Terminal 2, Kota Kinabalu International Airport, here Saturday night.

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 anong 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 (Melaka 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.

Meanwhile, Abdullah was also disappointed when Umno vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also International Trade and Industry Minister, did not heed the decision on the power transition in March which had been agreed upon between him and Najib.

"Actually it was him (Muhyiddin) who had raised the issue on speeding up the power transition by making statements abroad, in Singapore.

"Everyone had agreed. They themselves had not said that they did not agree. Datuk Seri Mohd Najib and I had reached an agreement which was endorsed and agreed upon by the members of Umno Supreme Council," he said.

Abdullah said he had explained the reasons why he needed time that was agreed upon between him and Najib, among them, there were matters pertaining to reforms that he wanted to implement and table at the Dewan Rakyat sitting.

"Is he afraid of the reforms. Does he not want the reforms. Is it one way of frustrating these efforts whereas the people want the reforms.

"The people were angry with me for not fulfilling the promises. That's why it was in the 2004 manifesto when I contested, when we won the 2004 general election with a landslide victory.

"Why is he making such suggestions? It means that he wants to frustrate the actions that I have planned for implementation.

"The point is that there is an agreement. Why want to raise it again? Can't wait to become deputy president. That is if there is enough support for him (Muhyiddin)," Abdullah added - Bernama.