Malaysian repels predecessor's vitriol
International Herald Tribune
JUNE 9, 2006
The Associated Press

KUALA LUMPUR Malaysia's prime minister, backed solidly by his party, said he had better things to do than worry about a vitriolic tirade against him by his former mentor, Mahathir bin Mohamad.

Referring to Mahathir, former prime minister, with the state-bestowed honorific title of "tun," Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said: "Tun is free to say anything. It is not a problem to me, because our country is democratic.

"I have more important things to do, like repaying the trust given to me by the people," Abdullah said Thursday in Sabah state on Borneo island, in his first public response to Mahathir's invective.

The comments - front-page news in all major newspapers Friday - came as Abdullah received resounding support from his cabinet colleagues and leading lights within the ruling United Malays National Organization party, who have struck back at Mahathir, saying his verbal assault on the prime minister was out of line.

The developments Thursday have somewhat eased fears of instability in the country due to a split in the party and indicate that Mahathir may have miscalculated his own strength.

Mahathir, 80, shocked Malaysians on Wednesday when he made his most stinging and personal attack on Abdullah, hinting that he regretted choosing the respected Islamic scholar and veteran politician to inherit his mantle when he retired in 2003.

Mahathir's principal complaint is the government's recent decision to scrap one of his personal initiatives, a plan to build a new bridge to neighboring Singapore. He has also bristled at what he said were government charges he wasted public money on infrastructure projects during his tenure. Abdullah's cabinet had made no accusation in public.

He said he could have chosen Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak as his successor, but instead opted for Abdullah and had expected "a reasonable degree of gratefulness."

But if he expected Najib to back him, Mahathir was wrong. Najib appealed instead for the party and the public to give their full support to Abdullah.

A smiling Abdullah refused to be drawn into the controversy, and refused to say anything more despite repeated questioning by reporters, the New Straits Times and The Star newspapers said.

Copyright © 2006 the International Herald Tribune