Pak Lah hits back at Dr M and Ku Li

Umno president and prime minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi has hit back at Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah for their criticism of his leadership.

Dr Mahathir has asked Abdullah to step down and holds him responsible for the Barisan Nasional's bad performance in the recent polls, while the Gua Musang MP has criticised him for making inept decisions.

Responding to the former Prime Minister's claims that there is no freedom of media Abdullah said:

"Does he not remember that during his time, he asked the media to 'block out' stories and photos of (former Prime Minister) Tun Hussein Onn and not give coverage to certain people.

"As for Operasi Lalang, don't forget who's responsible," he said, in reference to the 1987 crackdown in which over 100 people were arrested under the Internal Security Act for purportedly causing racial tension and posing a threat to national security.

Abdullah was speaking to reporters yesterday after giving a briefing to Umno grassroots leaders at PWTC over the party's performance in the general election.

Abdullah, while acknowledging that his predecessor has strengths and influence, said the Tun had misused these to the extent of undermining Umno.

"When we won in 2004, he said it was kuat sangat, tak elok (too strong, it was not appropriate) and there must be opposition.

"But when the Opposition rose, I thought he would celebrate but hentam pulak (he hit out instead). So attaining great success was a mistake and to secure a slim win is also a mistake. What is it that can be accepted?”

On Tengku Razaleigh
Abdullah said the Gua Musang MP should take a good look at himself.

"He was the reason Barisan lost Kelantan to PAS in the first place," he said, adding that the Kelantan leader had done nothing to win the state back.

Abdullah also took a potshot at former deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, now leader of the Barisan Rakyat and making a political comeback, saying that Anwar could wait all he liked.

"He may be the Prime Minister-in-waiting but I'm the leader of today," he stressed.

He accused Anwar of trying to control the media when he was the deputy Prime Minister.

On politics and the election
Abdullah claimed that Barisan Nasional (BN) would not have lost control of Kedah and Perak if not for sabotage by Umno members in several parliament and state seats.

“We would not have lost if not for problems created within the areas. We should have won 14 more parliamentary seats and 22 more state seats (in these two states), based on analysis and information we received,” he said.

“The issue of sabotage will be referred to the Umno disciplinary committee,” Abdullah said. He declined to reveal the possible reasons, saying the matter should come before the committee first.

“We lost four states, and we have to understand that the election was one that gave us a signal that we must accept and admit and we need to prepare to carry out these efforts...

“I understand that the support then (the large mandate it won in 2004) was because of the promises we made in our manifesto, which included issues that needed to be overcome due to the weakness of the administration before mine.

“I admit that in the four years, our government – under my leadership – could not carry through the promises made fully.

Sources: The NST online, The Star and Bernama.

(He still doesn't get it, does he?. Blaming everything and everyone except himself. Accusing Umno members of sabotage and treason. Doesn’t he wonder why it happened in the first place? Blaming Ku Li for the Barisan Nasional's loss in Kelantan instead of the infighting in Kelantan Umno - which was a major contributing factor for the coalition's defeat in the state . You are the Prime Minister, President of Umno and chairman of the BN and you have the audacity to put the blame on others? Have you no shame? )

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And Umno Saboteurs