KUALA LUMPUR, 26 March 2009: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s final speech as Umno president hit the spot on what Malaysians outside the party feel – that Umno has become arrogant and faces inevitable demise unless it changes. He acknowledged Umno’s loss of credibility and offered two key solutions – to limit the number of […]
Mahathir Mohamad
Being No. 2
“I have never gone against or challenged anyone in my life. I am finally getting there, God willing, as the party president. I have been patient and I have persevered. I have progressed from a deputy minister to a minister, from deputy prime minister to prime minister.” INCOMING Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, on […]
Rais thanks Mahathir for support
KUALA LUMPUR, 24 March 2009: Umno vice-president aspirant Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim has expressed gratitude to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for the former prime minister’s backing and expressed the hope that the support would translate into votes at the party elections on 26 March. “I hope his views would be taken into consideration by […]
Mahathir: Umno must reform or lose
KELANA JAYA, 20 March 2009: Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today issued a stern warning that Umno would lose the next general election if it fails to reform and that he had no confidence in most of Umno leaders to lead the country. Mahathir said Umno leaders missed the opportunity to reform the […]
Nik Sapeia’s case postponed again
KOTA BARU, 18 March 2009: The Magistrate’s Court here today fixed 2 and 3 Junefor the defence of businessperson Datuk Nik Sapeia Nik Yusoff charged with causing hurt to former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Magistrate Azman Mustapha fixed the date after granting the defence’s application for more time for the new counsel to […]
PMs on Perak
“You cannot topple a menteri besar or a prime minister without a no-confidence vote in the assembly. There is no other provision…Umno-Barisan Nasional was too careless and did not wait for an assembly but instead asked the ruler to sack the menteri besar…As far as I know, there is no such provision in the Perak […]
Will Umno change?
The panel at the forum organised by Konrad Adanaeur Foundation WILL Umno change? That’s been the perennial question since the March 2008 general election. The answer may well be how much its incoming president Datuk Seri Najib Razak will let it. Three political observers, at least, believe that Najib will return to a more authoritarian […]
Transforming Umno
IT has been more than two weeks since the close of nominations for Umno supreme council posts. Every post, except the presidency and the Wanita deputy chief position, is being contested. But as the candidates prepare to do battle for the hearts, and some would say pockets, of the 2,500 delegates at the 24 to […]
Infighting in Wanita Umno
DURING the week from 8 to 14 Nov, the ongoing tussle in Wanita Umno, the question of a non-Malay becoming prime minister, and concerns over money politics in Umno received extensive coverage in the Malay press. On 10 Nov, Wanita Umno deputy chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil asked current chief Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz […]
Getting over Dr M
IN the rhapsody of Barack Obama’s epic election, some of us (Malaysians) may be caught imagining if such a leader could be elected to our highest office. Let’s give idealism its moment. No one is now mocking president-elect Obama for soaring rhetoric. Didn’t he just tap into real yearning for change, willingness to believe in […]
