Dr M pays respects to Pak Lah, praises 'graceful' exit after GE12

Summary

• Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad pays his last respects to his successor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

• The nonagenarian praises Abdullah for his ‘graceful’ exit following the 12th general election.

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad paid his respects to his successor, the late Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today.

Speaking to reporters at the Masjid Negara, Mahathir recalled that he had first met Abdullah in 1968 at a supermarket.

However, what he appeared to recall the most today, was Abdullah's exit as prime minister in 2009.

Mahathir said that in 2004, Abdullah had pulled a historic feat in winning 90 percent of Parliament seats during the general election that year.

Mahathir noted that Abdullah faced many problems when he was in power, and as a result, “his performance in the 2008 general election was not that good.”

"And he did not hesitate, when success waned, and many called for him to step down, he did not have a problem and resigned.

"This is the way in Malaysia, when we resign we do so smoothly without problems and hand it over to our successor. If this practice is continued Malaysia will be a peaceful country.

"That is Abdullah's example," he told reporters.

Rocky ties

Mahathir's relationship with Abdullah had soured around 2006 after the latter cancelled the former's “crooked” bridge project to Singapore.

Later after the 2008 general election, Mahathir was among Abdullah's most vocal critics in calling for the latter to resign.

It got to the point that Mahathir quit Umno in May 2008 to protest Abdullah's refusal at the time to step down.

Abdullah eventually relented and resigned in April 2009.

Meanwhile, Mahathir also recalled that Abdullah was among the youths that the country's second prime minister, Abdul Razak Hussein had under his wing.

"Razak had great faith in Abdullah," he said.

The country’s fifth prime minister breathed his last yesterday and is being accorded a state funeral.

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