Dr M, Mukhriz & UMNO dissdents launch attack on PM Abdullah

Kuala Lumpur 1st April 2008. Sources AP & REUTERS

Malaysia's former Mahathir Mohamad, (at left) who was PM of Malaysia for over 22 years before handing power to Abdullah in 2003. has urged his UMNO compatriots to openly rebel against the present prime minister after massive losses in general elections plunged the ruling party into its worst ever crisis.

Approximately 2,000 United Malays National Organization (UMNO) members attended to hear Dr Mahathir and his son Mukhriz speak at a local hotel conference centre, in what was the biggest display of defiance to date against the UMNO President , and present PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The meeting was called to analyse the historic massive losses suffered by Abdullah's Barisan Nasional (BN), which is the UMNO controlled National Front coalition, in the general elections, which were held on 8th March 2008..

Today's meeting turned into an open session which bitterly criticized Abdullah, who is seeing his tentative hold on power progressively weaken more and more, he however still insists he has the full support of UMNO and the other BN member political parties.

"I call on him to resign. Anyone else would have done so already, but he is shameless," Mahathir said. "If he waits until the party is totally destroyed, it would be useless."
Mahathir accused Abdullah (left) of failing to curb unbridled corruption, nepotism and cronyism.

He also referred repeatedly to Abdullah's son-in-law, Khairy Jamaluddin, better known as KJ, who is believed to wield huge influence on the PM, and some UMNO / BN members.

Mahathir is now an ordinary party member, but he still has considerable influence, and his criticism will likely be relished the party's grass-roots workers.

"We have reached a crossroads. There is something very wrong with our leadership, which is Abdullah Ahmad Badawi," Matahir's son Mukhriz (left) said to a huge round of applause.

The open show of defiance, criticism and outright anger is a clearly a sign of the deep crisis in UMNO and BN coalition which are reeling from their worst electoral result ever.

The BN coalition lost five of Malaysia's 13 states and its cherished two-thirds majority in parliament for the first time since 1969, even then they only lost it briefly before introducing a state of emergency; UMNO / BN had changed the Malaysia Constitution and Laws willy nilly as and when they deem fit, this happened regularly in the past 50 years since independence from the British.

See what was reported in the Straits Times of Singapore HERE

A bove majori discit arare minor

- The young ox learns to plough from the older