The criticism of Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi by the party's Seremban division chief Ishak Ismail only points to one thing - that Umno is split from Perlis to Sabah.

I am sure that like me, millions of Malaysians would have laughed out loud when they watched the news on TV last Monday (June 19) during which Umno deputy president Najib Razak read from a prepared statement, pledging the party's supreme council's support for Abdullah.

The way Najib read the statement was a total give away. If one is making a sincere statement, it does not have to be written down. Everyone knows that the supreme council, like Abdullah's cabinet, is not united when it comes to issues concerning former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Almost all of Abdullah's cabinet members were handpicked by Mahathir. He defended them to the hilt, even when some of them were alleged to have been corrupt. I am sure they still have a certain degree of respect and gratitude for Mahathir.

Syed Hamid Albar, one of the most vocal critics of Mahathir now, was appointed by the latter as full minister directly, without having to go through the mill where one is first appointed parliamentary secretary and then promoted to deputy minister before being made a full minister.

Under Abdullah's stewardship, the country appears to have no direction. We are to go back to agriculture but we have no land. While other leaders go around the world seeking new markets and selling their respective countries, Abdullah goes around the world talking about Islam Hadhari. What he does not realise is that his audience, being Europeans and Americans, don't even understand the basics of Islam, let alone Islam Hadhari.

Dear Pak Lah, I speak for many of my fellow Malaysian friends. Just three years have passed since you took over as prime minister, but we think you have overstayed your welcome. It's time to go.