ANOTHER arrow was shot yesterday at embattled Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi - this time, it came from his predecessor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.The former premier wrote a letter, published on the front page of the Sun newspaper, lambasting Datuk Seri Abdullah's clash with the palace in the appointment of the Terengganu chief minister.
The Sun, a feisty free tabloid, was in January bought by Tan Sri Vincent Tan, a tycoon said to be close to Tun Dr Mahathir.
Tun Dr Mahathir in his letter referred to talk about the Sultan rejecting Datuk Seri Abdullah's choice for menteri besar because the Premier had allowed a businessman with ties to the 'first family' to benefit almost entirely from the billions of ringgit squandered on lavish projects in the state.
'These are all rumours. It will be quite impossible to prove anything as the perpetrators are skilled at hiding themselves,' Tun Dr Mahathir wrote.
The former premier, who has called on his successor to resign after a disastrous March 8 election result, added that people were trying to find evidence of his misdeeds to 'ask me to shut up'.
ATTACK: Tun Dr Mahathir says the unnamed businessman benefited from state projects.
Unless there is a frame-up, I think there should be nothing to pin on me,' he wrote.
Tun Dr Mahathir's latest salvo piles the pressure on Datuk Seri Abdullah, who is fending off several attacks following the election, which saw his ruling Barisan Nasional coalition lose control of five states and its two-thirds majority in parliament. The former premier said billions of ringgit in oil royalties to Terengganu had been squandered.
He wrote, 'They say the contracts all went to one person and they are suspicious that behind this person are members of the first family', meaning Datuk Seri Abdullah's family.
He added that, according to rumours, the former chief minister who was Datuk Seri Abdullah's candidate might have benefited financially, and that the Prime Minister may have influenced him into 'doing wrong things'.
Tun Dr Mahathir, 82, is clearly back in the fray after his second heart bypass operation last September.
He first launched an attack on his successor two years ago after several of his initiatives were scrapped, including a bridge to replace the Causeway to Singapore.
The government initially refuted some of his criticisms but eventually ignored them as Umno leaders rallied around Datuk Seri Abdullah.
There was a belief in the party that his influence had waned after he failed to win a low-level election for a delegate's post to the Umno General Assembly in 2006.
But this turned out to be erroneous.
A number of his complaints stuck, especially those relating to former minister of international trade and industry Rafidah Aziz's involvement in giving out car import permits, and the Prime Minister's family.
It was the former premier who first pointed a finger at the Prime Minister's son and son-in-law as having allegedly inordinate influence over him.
They became some of the biggest election issues.
Blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, a popular speaker at opposition election rallies, said one of Tun Dr Mahathir's statements asking people to vote for the best candidate had wide impact.
The implication was that party loyalty was of secondary importance.
'Whether you want to question his sincerity, that's beside the point. The message reached the ground,' Raja Petra said.
Part of Datuk Seri Abdullah's problems stem from his weak grip on power unlike his predecessor whose strongman abilities kept the country's institutions firmly under control.
Datuk Seri Abdullah's looser grip has allowed the monarchy to assert its power in recent weeks and rebellion to fester in his party and ruling coalition.
The Prime Minister is now facing a possible leadership challenge from Kelantan prince Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. The prince's chances could be bolstered by an endorsement from Tun Dr Mahathir.
The former premier is, however, still holding off as he prefers Datuk Seri Abdullah's current deputy, Datuk Seri Najib Razak. But Tun Dr Mahathir has not ruled out endorsing Tengku Razaleigh.
Get credible forei
gn agencies to investigate, says MahathirALL THAT GILTTERS: The Crystal Mosque and surrounding theme park in Kuala Terengganu were built after BN regained control of the state in 2004. Glass panels and lighting make the mosque glow and glitter like a crystal at night. --
EXCERPTS of the letter by former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, which was published on the front page of The Sun newspaper yesterday.
HIS Royal Highnesses have clearly refused to take the advice of the Prime Minister...
We hear a lot of opinions on the propriety of the action by the Sultan. Some say he has the right to do this while others point out that as a constitutional ruler he could not do this...
It should be noted that this kind of thing never happened during the premiership of the four previous prime ministers...
Is it just that the particular ruler is being difficult, unwilling to accept the principles of democracy, wanting to return to feudalism and the absolute authority of the monarch? I do not think so. There must be a reason why the ruler refuses to accept the candidate named.
But the ruler chooses not to reveal the reasons and indulge in public debates... There is a lot of talk in the town.
Terengganu is blessed with petroleum deposits. It should get 5 per cent of the total earnings from oil production...
When Barisan Nasional regained Terengganu, the money, now called 'Wang Ehsan' (Goodwill Money, in Malay) was lavishly spent by the federal government on Terengganu. Over these years, (it) totalled several billion ringgit...
Since Barisan Nasional regained Terengganu in 2004 all kinds of projects have been developed. These include The Monsoon Cup, luxury housing for sale to foreigners, Crystal Mosque and theme park, university, etc.
Some of these projects are very good but many are totally unnecessary and wasteful...
The Terengganu people say the contracts all went to one person and they are suspicious that behind this person are members of the first family.
The rumours also say that the previous menteri besar was responsible for these things happening and of course they think that he might have benefited financially. The rumours went on to say that the Prime Minister might have influenced the menteri besar into doing wrong things.
These are all rumours. It will be quite impossible to prove anything as the perpetrators are skilled in hiding themselves. This is not good for a government keen to abolish corruption and be transparent. To clear its name, an investigation should be made.
But the public is leery of investigations by government agencies and departments.
Even royal commissions are not highly regarded. The people believe, not true of course, that the government has been interfering with the work of the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), the police and the Attorney-General's Chambers. They say this is borne out by the results of investigations by these agencies.
When a deputy minister was accused of accepting money for the release of a detainee, the A-G said there was no case because the detainee said he did not give any money to the deputy minister. It is so easy.
If you have a case involving someone, all the enforcement agencies need to do is to ask him whether he was involved. If he says 'no', then there is no case.
For some reason, judges are finding that people accused of murder are not guilty because of insufficient evidence by the police. Yet people who are totally not involved in a case, who were not accused of any misdeeds and who did not appear in court at all and been given a hearing are found guilty and publicly condemned...
To clear its good name, the government should get credible foreign agencies to conduct the investigations. Of course they must be given full access to the documents, etc.
Now my detractors are going to say I did worse things when I was prime minister. Well if that is so let us have the foreign agencies investigate me also...
Carolyn Hong
THE STRAITS TIMES
29/03/08
HIS Royal Highnesses have clearly refused to take the advice of the Prime Minister...
We hear a lot of opinions on the propriety of the action by the Sultan. Some say he has the right to do this while others point out that as a constitutional ruler he could not do this...
It should be noted that this kind of thing never happened during the premiership of the four previous prime ministers...
Is it just that the particular ruler is being difficult, unwilling to accept the principles of democracy, wanting to return to feudalism and the absolute authority of the monarch? I do not think so. There must be a reason why the ruler refuses to accept the candidate named.
But the ruler chooses not to reveal the reasons and indulge in public debates... There is a lot of talk in the town.
Terengganu is blessed with petroleum deposits. It should get 5 per cent of the total earnings from oil production...
When Barisan Nasional regained Terengganu, the money, now called 'Wang Ehsan' (Goodwill Money, in Malay) was lavishly spent by the federal government on Terengganu. Over these years, (it) totalled several billion ringgit...
Since Barisan Nasional regained Terengganu in 2004 all kinds of projects have been developed. These include The Monsoon Cup, luxury housing for sale to foreigners, Crystal Mosque and theme park, university, etc.
Some of these projects are very good but many are totally unnecessary and wasteful...
The Terengganu people say the contracts all went to one person and they are suspicious that behind this person are members of the first family.
The rumours also say that the previous menteri besar was responsible for these things happening and of course they think that he might have benefited financially. The rumours went on to say that the Prime Minister might have influenced the menteri besar into doing wrong things.
These are all rumours. It will be quite impossible to prove anything as the perpetrators are skilled in hiding themselves. This is not good for a government keen to abolish corruption and be transparent. To clear its name, an investigation should be made.
But the public is leery of investigations by government agencies and departments.
Even royal commissions are not highly regarded. The people believe, not true of course, that the government has been interfering with the work of the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), the police and the Attorney-General's Chambers. They say this is borne out by the results of investigations by these agencies.
When a deputy minister was accused of accepting money for the release of a detainee, the A-G said there was no case because the detainee said he did not give any money to the deputy minister. It is so easy.
If you have a case involving someone, all the enforcement agencies need to do is to ask him whether he was involved. If he says 'no', then there is no case.
For some reason, judges are finding that people accused of murder are not guilty because of insufficient evidence by the police. Yet people who are totally not involved in a case, who were not accused of any misdeeds and who did not appear in court at all and been given a hearing are found guilty and publicly condemned...
To clear its good name, the government should get credible foreign agencies to conduct the investigations. Of course they must be given full access to the documents, etc.
Now my detractors are going to say I did worse things when I was prime minister. Well if that is so let us have the foreign agencies investigate me also...
Carolyn Hong
THE STRAITS TIMES
29/03/08
Raja Petra
Malaysia Today
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