By the recent move to issue Puteri Umno member Zalila Yusof a show-cause letter for lodging a police report against pro tem Puteri chief Azalina Othman Said for alleged corrupt practices, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi or Pak Lah has unwittingly portrayed Umno as a Mafia-like organisation.

The mafia in its heyday broke laws of the land with impunity and had a whole spectrum of people ranging from entertainers, sportsmen, policemen, judges, etc., ready to do their bidding. They were run as a family with an unwritten code of conduct , and its members were expected to toe the line or face the wrath of the clan.

Surely Zalila's accusations are serious in nature but instead of trying to verify it, Pak Lah is more unhappy about her breaking Umno's code of conduct. He has not even tried to address the issues being raised and seems to be more concerned about Umno's image rather than the rule of law.