PM Lets Umno Youth Handle Mukhriz
Putra Jaya: Prime Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has left it to Umno Youth to take action against Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, who is an executive committee member of the movement, for asking him to step down as Prime Minister.
“I am leaving it to Datuk Seri Hishammuddin (Tun Hussein, the Umno Youth chief) to take the appropriate action (against Mukhriz), he said..
He was asked to comment on a letter written by Mukhriz and sent to the Prime Minister whereby Mukhriz had urged Abdullah to take responsibility for the Barisan Nasional’s poor performance in Saturday’s general election and step down.
“A day before he sent the letter to me, he issued a statement voicing support for me and that collective responsibility must be taken for what happened and several other statements that were seen as positive to me.
“Suddenly he has made an about turn… just a day after that he sent the letter, not only to me but also Datuk (Seri) Najib (Tun Razak) and the whole country.
“To me this is not good way or approach. This is one reaction from him as a member of Umno Youth, which has already taken a decision to support me and the party leadership.
“He has also stated I and Najib should be supported to lead the party and Government…this (letter asking Abdullah to step down) contradicts the stand taken by Umno and the Umno Youth movement,” said Abdullah.
In KUALA LUMPUR, Hishammuddin had earlier said that if it was true that Mukhriz had indeed sent such a letter, it was done in his personal capacity.
Umno Youth stood by its earlier statement that it was solidly behind Abdullah as Umno president and Najib as deputy president, he said in a statement.
“I’m asking him to resign,” Mukhriz, who commands factional support within the party, told Reuters by telephone, adding that he had written a letter to the Premier on Wednesday.
He is the first ruling party leader to demand that Abdullah step down, although his father has also urged Abdullah to resign over the party’s worst election setback in its 50-year rule.
Islamists and leftist opposition parties won control of five of Malaysia’s 13 state assemblies and just over a third of Parliament, prompting speculation that Abdullah could quit, but he has refused to go.
Abdullah was sworn in as leader on Monday for a second five-year term.
He succeeded Mahathir in late 2003 following the latter’s retirement after 22 years in office.
In the letter, Mukhriz said Abdullah should take full responsibility for the huge electoral setback faced by the National Front coalition and its dominant party, Umno.
“The only way to successfully revive the coalition, Umno and the nation is through your resignation,” he wrote. Abdullah is also leader of the Umno.
“There’s no point denying the obvious in order to hold on to your position as the Prime Minister,” said Mukhriz, who was elected as MP for the first time at the March 8 election.
“If you do not resign in the near future, I fear that the situation will become untenable and that the Malay support for Umno and the coalition will be a thing of the past,” he added.
Mukhriz said he had held a news conference on Monday to indirectly ask Abdullah to quit. “That didn’t seem to work,” he said, adding that he was willing to face the political repercussions of his public stand.
“I leave it to Allah to decide on my fate.” – Bernama, Reuters
