exclusive Ex-Umno politician and sacked New Straits Times editor-in-chief Abdullah Ahmad has denied that he is defecting to rival party PAS.

Abdullah, who was New Straits Times Press Group editor-in-chief until he was sacked last November, stirred disquiet within Umno's circle recently after he was seen together with top PAS leaders.

His appearance at PAS' special prayer session for the upcoming general election in Kota Bharu was reported by the Islamic party's organ Harakah online last week.

Abdullah - who is fondly known as Dollah Kok Lanas along with his trademark 'DKL' initials - dismissed the suggestion that he harboured the intention to join PAS.

"I was at the PAS gathering because I was invited to go there," he said in exclusive interview with malaysiakini at his house in Ampang.

"They said to me: Before this, you're writing stories without seeing it (the situation) ... so, come and see for yourself. That was why I went there," said Abdullah, who was once the elected representative for Kelantan's Kok Lanas parliamentary seat.

He stressed that quitting Umno - the political party which he had faithfully served for over four decades - had never crossed his mind.

"I am an Arabian horse who only serve one master," he said.

Abdullah was seen with PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat on Feb 28, the night when another Umno leader, Ibrahim Ali - who was not reappointed to head his Kelantan's Pasir Mas division - had vowed to contest his parliamentary seat with the help from the Muslim-based party.

There was further unease within the Umno camp when a group of 12 ex-army top brass had joined PAS, one of whom - retired brigadier-general Zakaria Dahalan - will take on Umno vice-president Najib Tun Razak in his marginal Pekan constituency in Pahang.

No grudges against Pak Lah

Though Abdullah was sacked from the Umno-controlled NST group, he said he held no grudges against party leader Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also known as Pak Lah.

"I don't blame people for what happen to me. I don't blame myself. What will be will be... and I believe, I need only to be healthy...

"I emerge better after being down a bit. I enjoy being down," he quipped.

After he was summarily sacked from NST - the newspaper which he headed for two years - he wrote to Pak Lah to pledge his continued loyalty to Umno.

"I was happy because I knew if I didn't write to Pak Lah and to a few other leaders, they probably think that I am switching to the other side. No, I am not that type. I am not Ibrahim Ali.

"I said I was happy to be able to serve him as the prime minister," revealed Abdullah, adding that he respected Pak Lah's decision to terminate his three-year contract with the giant newspaper group.

"I am not bitter... so don't compare me with Ibrahim Ali. Ibrahim Ali did SMS me. He said we were in the same boat now - 'you're sacked, I 'm dropped'. I called him and said, 'It's two different things, I'm sacked and you're dropped - dropped is not sacked'," said Abdullah.

According to the mercurial politician, he had established a think-tank since his NST sacking, and this required him to meet leaders from both sides of the political divide.

When told that some quarters in Umno were uneasy on discovering that he was meeting PAS leaders, Abdullah said: "I want my own assessment (of the political situation). They (Umno) got Special Branch, they have all sorts of intelligence, they got their think-tank - everybody seems to have a think-tank - and I have my own think-tank."

A roller-coaster career

Abdullah, 66, described his long political career as a "roller-coaster ride".

Born on July 4, 1937 in Machang, Kelantan, Dollah, as he is popularly known, received his early education at the elite Malay College Kuala Kangsar. He later obtained his Masters of Letters from Cambridge University.

Abdullah began his brief career in journalism in 1957 when he joined the English tabloid Malay Mail . However, six years later Abdullah was appointed political advisor to Malaysia's second prime minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein.

At the same time, he rose rapidly within the party ranks and was named deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department in 1974 - his highest political office.

But his political career came to an abrupt halt in 1976 when he was detained under the Internal Security Act following a leadership struggle within Umno.

"I served Tun Razak for 14 years until he died, and they locked me up for five years (after that)," he lamented, referring to his detention ordered by party rival, then home minister Ghazali Shafie.

Abdullah was released in 1981 by Dr Mahathir Mohamad two weeks after he succeeded Hussein Onn as prime minister.

He subsequently joined the private sector. "I was chairperson of three listed companies for six years which were making a lot of money," he said. But bad times hit and he soon got out.

In 1996, Mahathir appointed Abdullah as the country's special envoy to the United Nations in New York.

But four years later, he was brought back to take up the NSTP executive director's post, and Abdullah was eventually appointed editor-in-chief to replace Abdul Kadir Jasin.

Asked about the public impression that the reason for his sacking was because he supported Umno vice-president Najib - son of the country's second prime minister whom he had served for over a decade - Abdullah said: "I know he will be the deputy prime minister. I told Muhyiddin (Yassin) so..."

Muhyiddin, who is also Umno vice-president and an aspirant for the deputy premiership, was widely believed to be Pak Lah's preferred choice. However, Najib was eventually picked as Pak Lah's deputy two month ago.

Tomorrow: Dollah - why I was sacked