Dr M: Don't repeat my 'mistake'
Malaysiakini.com
Jul 26, 2008

Dr Mahathir Mohamad has urged Umno members not to repeat his ‘mistake’ in backing Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to be prime minister.
MCPX

“I admit I was wrong in choosing Abdullah as my successor. Now I regret because I didn’t think that ‘Mr Clean’ would not be that clean.

“I believe that Umno members and leaders at all levels who are angry with me (for anointing Abdullah) surely does not want to make the same mistake,” said Mahathir.

mahathir pc 260608 05The former premier said this in his post on his blog - chedet.com - yesterday, which was aimed at urging Umno members at divisional levels not to nominate Abdullah as Umno president.

Despite dissatisfaction within Umno on his leadership, Abdullah has announced that he would defend his party presidency during party polls in December.

Explaining how Abdullah was hand-picked as his successor, Mahathir said that he was influenced by people who called the former 'Mr Clean'.

No one asked Pak Lah to stay

Mahathir added that Abdullah was also older than Najib Abdul Razak and no one objected to the succession plan at that time.

“(Following this) the Umno general assembly officiated (my choice) of Abdullah as deputy party president during the party elections.

“Thus, I assumed that the succession plan to Abdullah was not something that was not wanted by Umno. No one objected,” added Mahathir.

However, he notes that when Abdullah announced that he would step down as prime minister in 2010, it was well-received by all - Malays and non-Malays alike.

“No one pleaded for him to stay on. It is clear that everyone wanted him to step down,” he said.

‘Blame yourself’

Mahathir argued that the 2010 time frame was too long and Abdullah should be made to resign immediately in order for Umno and Barisan Nasional to invigorate itself.

najib abdullah umno 100408“If the divisions and branches allow Abdullah to continue as party president, the blame would be on Umno members.

"They would be held responsible for the destruction of Umno and the disaster that will strike the Malays and Malaysia. Component parties would also be destroyed,” he said.

Mahathir, who quit Umno in protest of Abdullah’s leadership, has been going on a campaign to unseat Abdullah who he blames for Barisan’s electoral setbacks in March.

He has previously backed Najib for the post of Umno president and recently hinted that current Umno vice-president Muhyiddin Yassin was better candidate.

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