Transition period a face-saving device for Mahathir

comments     Susan Loone and Leong Kar Yen     Published     Updated

Opposition leaders poured cold water on the much awaited announcement by the Umno supreme council today that party leader and Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad will relinquish all posts in October next year.

PRM president Dr Syed Husin Ali said the 15-month grace to allow a power transition for Umno deputy leader Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to assume the post of prime minister was a "face-saving device", while giving the new leadership time to get their act together.

"But many things can happen within this period. He (Mahathir) might change his mind. It might also open up the possibility of a power struggle within Umno," added Syed Husin.

Mahathir is to step down from all party and government posts in October 2003, allowing a 15-month transition period before power is handed over to Abdullah.

Two months' leave

Umno secretary-general Khalil Yaakob, reading from a prepared statement, said Abdullah will assume all responsibilities from the party leader, who stated his wish to quit last Saturday.

According to Khalil, all members of the party's supreme council endorsed the succession plan that has been put in place.

Under the plan, Mahathir will remain as prime minister, Umno president, Barisan Nasional chairperson as well as finance minister until after the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) meeting to be held in Kuala Lumpur next October.

Two PM and two finance ministers

DAP national chairperson Lim Kit Siang expressed scepticism that the 15-month power transition plan can work satisfactorily.

He said this solution could result in two prime ministers and two finance ministers, or a situation where the country goes without a proper prime minister and finance minister for 15 months.

In the succession plan, Mahathir is expected to hand over some of his Finance Ministry tasks to his anointed deputy.

"With Mahathir going on leave for two months ... it is likely that he will be out of the country for more than half of the 15-month transition period," Lim lamented.

It was announced that Mahathir will take two months' leave during the transition period.

Keadilan deputy president Abdul Rahman Othman regarded the delayed resignation as "proof that Mahathir is using Umno to cover up his unsatisfactory [quit] announcement".

Rahman said Mahathir's action was "unprincipled and a big lie" to the rakyat as there is no guarantee that he will stand by his words after the OIC meeting.

Meanwhile, party secretary-general Sahri Bahri said that Umno is confronting a grave problem in leadership succession.

"For a 56-year-old party with supposedly 2.8 million members and more than17,000 branches, they do not have someone to replace Mahathir," he said.

"It means that for the past 20 years, Mahathir has not done anything to prepare Umno to continue his legacy. This has revealed many weaknesses in the party," he added.

Stop the sandiwara

Meanwhile, PAS secretary-general Nasharuddin Mat Isa said it was embarrassing that the government had to resort to such a sandiwara (play acting) to gain support from the people.

"Do they take the rakyat for fools? This is unacceptable. On Saturday, he said he would resign but now he said he would only leave after one year. I ask that they stop this sandiwara ," said Nasharuddin.

"I maintain my stand that the entire thing was staged to gain support and sympathy from the Malays as well as the people. It is embarrassing that this is coming from people who are administering this country. Never in our nation's history has this happened," Nasharuddin added.



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