KUALA LUMPUR, April 13 — The superheated bid by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to topple Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has naturally drawn the close attention of our closest neighbour, Singapore.
In what it called "Mahathir's last stand", the island republic's leading newspaper The Straits Times yesterday said "the political mudslinging and blame game stemming from last month's polls have reopened the debate on Tun Dr Mahathir's legacy".
While Umno's stunning losses in Election 2008 had provided the new launch pad for the former prime minister's attack on Pak Lah, it suggested that this has brought on a growing view that Umno's defeat in five states represented a "final verdict" on Dr M's 22-year rule.
While there is widespread anger within Umno towards Datuk Seri Abdullah, it said, his main fault was a lack of political will to bring about an overhaul of institutions that "Mahathir emasculated".
The Opposition, ST noted, had also weighed in by striking out at the former premier, seen to have been responsible for "assaults against independent public institutions, rampant corruption, racial tensions and economic fiascos".
Dr M had insisted he had done nothing wrong and Malaysians, the ST said, are beginning to have a less charitable view of the Mahathir years, also associated with a sustained period of heady economic growth.
While Abdullah's current position is seen as untenable, "the big question is whether he will be able to engineer a dignified political exit before Umno holds its own party polls some time in December. But his exit will not help rehabilitate Umno," according to ST.
The Straits Times makes this conclusion: "The Mahathir years were Malaysia's most tumultuous. They will require careful examination to bring about the reforms Malaysia must undertake to move ahead."
tunku : i hope that singapore ST will look at their own backyard rather than poking nose into malaysia's affairs.hope singaporeans will learn something from the recent election in malaysia and try to change thing in singapore who is still under the shadow of lee kuan yew.give the opposition there some voice in parliament.
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2 comments:
My dear Tunku,
Singapura is different from malaysia in that LKY and PAP, though dictatorial, are not corrupt like our own gomen under AAB. LKY & PAP really practise what they preach and deliver. They give no grounds for the opposition to hit them except perhaps dictatorial. By contrast our BN made so many mistakes and could not care about the people's feelings that eventually the rakyat could not tolerate it anymore and voted for the opposition. If not for SPR cheating, I think Pakatan Rakyat would have won and today, AAB would be fighting with Najib for position of opposition leader. Let me remind you my dear Tunku that there is NO, I repeat NO lesson that Singapore can learn from the results of the GE we had.
Perhaps if UMNO wants to reinvent itself, it better learn from Singapore now to be transparent and not corrupt, and above all, yes practise meritocracy...I mean REAL meritocracy, not the half-past 6 meritocracy of UMNO. Have a nice day my dear Tunku.
siapa cakap singapura tak dak rasuah, itu government rasuah nombor satu, itu sebab pembangkang langsung tak boleh hidup kat sana. cakap silap sikit masuk court.malaysia lagi seribu kali bagus.
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