ID :
23321
Thu, 10/09/2008 - 08:53
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/23321
The shortlink copeid
M'SIAN PM PUTS NATION'S INTEREST ABOVE ALL
By S. Retnanathan
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi's decision not to contest the Umno presidency at the party polls in March next year reflects the true statesmanship of the man who puts the nation's interest above all.
Umno or United Malays National Organisation is Malaysia's largest political
party and a founding member of the ruling BN coalition.
In making the long thought-out decision public, Abdullah, who became
Malaysia's fifth prime minister on Oct 31, 2003, has demonstrated that the
interest of the country and the future of the ruling coalition and Umno are far
more important than any personal pursuit.
Clad in a dark suit and looking cheerful while posing for photographers at
the conclusion of the press conference after the National Front (Barisan
Nasional - BN) supreme council meeting, where he announced his decision to quit,
the 68-year-old leader openly said he was guided by conscience.
"I have always placed the interest of the nation above all else. It is
with this in mind that I announce I will not stand for the Umno presidency. I
do not want a divided party and governing coalition, but one that is united and
harmonious.
"A united Barisan Nasional is vital for the country to face the global
challenges ahead and for Malaysia to become a fully developed nation, with
prosperity and fairness for all," he said, in announcing his decision.
Since the March 8 general election, Abdullah has come under tremendous
pressure to quit with former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad leading the
call.
In the elections, the BN was slapped with an unprecedented loss. Not only
did the ruling coalition lose its two-third majority in Parliament, it also
recorded a loss of four states to add to Kelantan which was already in the hands
of the opposition party, PAS. The BN lost three northern states - Kedah, Penang,
Perak and Selangor to People's Alliance (Pakatan Rakyat), the opposition
pact.
This result was seen as a dramatic turn of support for Abdullah who in
the
2004 general election ensured that the BN captured 90 per cent of the
votes.
Observers had, among other reasons for the loss, blamed Abdullah for a
weak
leadership and "not cracking the whip" when it was needed to discipline certain
BN components and Umno leaders, who had become infamous for several racist
statements during his tenure.
Admitting in his statement Wednesday that in recent times there had been
an alarming decline in inter-racial and inter-religious relations, Abdullah
warned that the various issues that had cropped up were threatening to tear the
"very fabric of Malaysian life".
The prime minister also reckoned that these issues needed to be tackled
head on through dialogues and dealt with constructively and even-handedly to
ensure greater clarity and certainty for the people, as well as the need to
"focus on points that unite us, rather than points that divide us".
Fondly known as Pak Lah to Malaysians, Abdullah has during his tenure
ventured into people-centric projects, emphasising the need for the nation to
build solid human capital with good values.
He had also introduced the Islam Hadhari concept which maintains that Islam
and modernisation can go hand-in-hand, and pushed for more modern agriculture-
based projects to counter the nation's huge food import bill.
He was also stern in dealing with corruption, which saw several high-
profile leaders charged under the Anti-Corruption Act and gave the Anti-
Corruption Agency a free hand to prosecute any wrong-doers.
Even in announcing his quit decision Wednesday, he outlined several
"important" initiatives to be implemented in the next five months he would still
be in power.
"Before I end my term, I will table a parliamentary Bill to establish a
Judicial Appointments Commission, which will propose judicial appointments in a
transparent and merit-based manner," he said.
He also vowed to upgrade the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency into a
Commission by presenting a parliamentary Bill by the end of the year, empowering
the Commission to investigate and enforce.
Abdullah also wanted to push for the establishment of a Special Complaints
Commission to enhance integrity and effectiveness of enforcement
agencies.
With all these in the pipeline, Abdullah has once again proven he is a
people's prime minister with a personal touch, wanting change in the true
sense.
-- BERNAMA
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi's decision not to contest the Umno presidency at the party polls in March next year reflects the true statesmanship of the man who puts the nation's interest above all.
Umno or United Malays National Organisation is Malaysia's largest political
party and a founding member of the ruling BN coalition.
In making the long thought-out decision public, Abdullah, who became
Malaysia's fifth prime minister on Oct 31, 2003, has demonstrated that the
interest of the country and the future of the ruling coalition and Umno are far
more important than any personal pursuit.
Clad in a dark suit and looking cheerful while posing for photographers at
the conclusion of the press conference after the National Front (Barisan
Nasional - BN) supreme council meeting, where he announced his decision to quit,
the 68-year-old leader openly said he was guided by conscience.
"I have always placed the interest of the nation above all else. It is
with this in mind that I announce I will not stand for the Umno presidency. I
do not want a divided party and governing coalition, but one that is united and
harmonious.
"A united Barisan Nasional is vital for the country to face the global
challenges ahead and for Malaysia to become a fully developed nation, with
prosperity and fairness for all," he said, in announcing his decision.
Since the March 8 general election, Abdullah has come under tremendous
pressure to quit with former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad leading the
call.
In the elections, the BN was slapped with an unprecedented loss. Not only
did the ruling coalition lose its two-third majority in Parliament, it also
recorded a loss of four states to add to Kelantan which was already in the hands
of the opposition party, PAS. The BN lost three northern states - Kedah, Penang,
Perak and Selangor to People's Alliance (Pakatan Rakyat), the opposition
pact.
This result was seen as a dramatic turn of support for Abdullah who in
the
2004 general election ensured that the BN captured 90 per cent of the
votes.
Observers had, among other reasons for the loss, blamed Abdullah for a
weak
leadership and "not cracking the whip" when it was needed to discipline certain
BN components and Umno leaders, who had become infamous for several racist
statements during his tenure.
Admitting in his statement Wednesday that in recent times there had been
an alarming decline in inter-racial and inter-religious relations, Abdullah
warned that the various issues that had cropped up were threatening to tear the
"very fabric of Malaysian life".
The prime minister also reckoned that these issues needed to be tackled
head on through dialogues and dealt with constructively and even-handedly to
ensure greater clarity and certainty for the people, as well as the need to
"focus on points that unite us, rather than points that divide us".
Fondly known as Pak Lah to Malaysians, Abdullah has during his tenure
ventured into people-centric projects, emphasising the need for the nation to
build solid human capital with good values.
He had also introduced the Islam Hadhari concept which maintains that Islam
and modernisation can go hand-in-hand, and pushed for more modern agriculture-
based projects to counter the nation's huge food import bill.
He was also stern in dealing with corruption, which saw several high-
profile leaders charged under the Anti-Corruption Act and gave the Anti-
Corruption Agency a free hand to prosecute any wrong-doers.
Even in announcing his quit decision Wednesday, he outlined several
"important" initiatives to be implemented in the next five months he would still
be in power.
"Before I end my term, I will table a parliamentary Bill to establish a
Judicial Appointments Commission, which will propose judicial appointments in a
transparent and merit-based manner," he said.
He also vowed to upgrade the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency into a
Commission by presenting a parliamentary Bill by the end of the year, empowering
the Commission to investigate and enforce.
Abdullah also wanted to push for the establishment of a Special Complaints
Commission to enhance integrity and effectiveness of enforcement
agencies.
With all these in the pipeline, Abdullah has once again proven he is a
people's prime minister with a personal touch, wanting change in the true
sense.
-- BERNAMA
