Most Read
Most Commented
Read more like this
mk-logo
From Our Readers

It's hard to believe it has only been three years since Abdullah 'Mr Clean' Badawi led the BN to its largest ever majority by running on a ticket of transparency, accountability and a 'Prime Minister for all Malaysians'.

It all seems so long ago now. Who now views him as 'clean' or his government as accountable or transparent? Abdullah had nothing to recommend him apart from his commitment to openness and transparency and his message of a Malaysia for all Malaysians.

After 22 years under Mahathir, we were willing, for the sake of that message, to overlook his embarrassing inability to understand elementary economic concepts and a track record in government distinguished only by mediocrity. We gave him a gigantic mandate.

He has done next to nothing with it. We are told to be more patient. Malaysians could be, if we had some confidence that he is both serious about the task and understands what the task involves. But these last months PM Abdullah has shown, by the manner in which he shut down the activities of Article 11 and the IFC (interfaith council), and by the disgraceful way in which his government racialised the Asli report and attacked the integrity of its authors, that his incomprehension extends beyond economics.

He has warned us against 'taking advantage of the openness' which he appears to think is his as prime minister to give and to take away and not a right he was elected to restore to the people.

It appears he does not understand the fine words about openness and transparency that his too clever speech writers put into his mouth to gain our vote. His unprepared remarks should make them cringe.

A failure to keep one's promises is one thing. One might still be made to keep them. An incapacity to understand what one actually promised is another. It appears that the unscripted Abdullah does not understand.

Whether or not he broke any promises to Dr Mahathir Mohamad is between the two gentlemen. It is abundantly clear that Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has broken his promises to the rakyat. But worse: he is incapable of keeping them. He doesn't understand economics, but he doesn't understand democracy either. The man is well and truly beyond his depth.

ADS