Sunday April 6, 2008

Dr M responsible for poor state of judiciary: PM (updated)

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has hit out at Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Datuk Seri Razaleigh Hamzah and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for their criticism of his leadership.

"There is no stopping (Dr Mahathir's) slew of accusations. He claims there is no freedom of media. Does he not remember that during his time, he asked the media to 'block out' stories and photos of (former Prime Minister) Tun Hussein Onn and not give coverage to certain people.

"As for Operasi Lalang, don't forget who's responsible," he said, in reference to the 1987 crackdown in which over 100 people were arrested under the Internal Security Act for purportedly causing racial tension and posing a threat to national security.

On the judiciary, Abdullah said the problems did not start during his era.

Abdullah, who is the Umno president was speaking to reporters after giving a briefing to Umno grassroots leaders at PWTC over the party's performance in the general election.

On Razaleigh's recent open criticism of his leadership, Abdullah said the Gua Musang MP should take a good look at himself.

"He was the reason Barisan lost Kelantan to PAS in the first place," he said, adding that the Kelantan leader had done nothing to win the state back.

On former deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who was sacked from the party in 1998 and was trying to make a political comeback, Abdullah said Anwar could wait all he liked.

"He may be the Prime Minister-in-waiting but I'm the leader of today," he stressed.

He also pointed out that when Anwar was the country's number two he (Anwar) too tried to control the media in terms of what came out on TV and in print.

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Sunday April 6, 2008

Criticism should make Umno stronger: Dr M

By SIRA HABIBU

LANGKAWI: Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said his criticisms against the Umno leadership would make the party stronger.

“My criticisms will not wreck the party. It will make Umno stronger.

“If I tell lies, Umno will reject me. If they (supporters of the current Umno leadership) tell the truth, people will accept them,” he said.

Dr Mahathir said this in response to allegations made by several Umno leaders that he was providing “ammunition” for the Opposition to destroy the party.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had said that Dr Mahathir was wrecking Umno from the inside.

Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek had called on Dr Mahathir to exercise caution when making statements, as Umno had collapsed in 1988 under his leadership and the members did not want to see a repeat of such a tragedy.

On Sports Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s statement that the Cabinet resigned en masse during Dr Mahathir’s era, the former premier said people have access to information on past history.

“The media is being controlled now. When Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah challenged me, he was in the news. I did not stop the media from highlighting what my detractors had to say.

“But now there is tight control on the media. There is no avenue for people to have their say,” he said.

Dr Mahathir was talking to newsmen on Saturday night after holding tahlil prayers at Surau Ibrahimi here for his sister Habsah who passed away in December 2006 and for Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir’s mother-in-law who passed away recently.

Earlier in his short speech before the Isyak prayers, he said Malaysians are lucky that political differences in the country did not lead to violence unlike in other Islamic countries.

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COMMENTS: Dear Malaysians, now you know whether BA or BN/UMNO that has been abusing power, monopolising meanstream media, news blackout of BA's activities and policies. BN has been using ISA all these years to silent critics, as a mean of finding scapegoat and to divert people's attention from the real problems and issues at hand.