Mukhriz Press Conference 20th May 2008

Q&A: 'He may be disappointed I'm not following

Mukhriz Mahathir explains his rationale for staying on in Umno in wake of his father’s resignation saying that he will try and effect change from within.

MCPX

Yesterday, Dr M said that Umno is not what it used to be now that it is under Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Do you agree?

Mukhriz: I agree that the party now is different than before (when it was under Dr Mahathir). The party now has changed to a party that neglects Malay rights and therefore there are some members who decided to take an exit door from Umno. But my friends and I have made a decision to stay in Umno and fight from within.

Regarding pressuring the prime minister to step down; if there’s no compromise, he should resign?

For me, there’s no compromise and he should resign.

What are some of the possibilities that will see you resigning from Umno?

If there are no positive developments within the shortest period of time and if it were to drag on with the leadership crisis we face. If it doesn’t resolve soon, my fear is that at the next elections, we will face defeat in many other states.

This means if Pak Lah does not step down sometime soon, you will quit?

I leave that as one of the alternatives.

How long is the time-frame you are talking about?

My preference of that action will be taken before our branch meeting in July.

What if it takes longer than July?

Then I will decide to take a different stance on the matter.

Did you consult with Dr M?

I consulted him about his decision (to quit Umno) but I did not consult him about my decision to stay on.

Have you been pressured in any way to leave the party?

I must admit that there have been certain parties, friends included, who have talked to me about leaving and some of them have actually left the party. But at the same time, an equal number of friends have urged me to stay on and to try to effect change from within.

Just to clarify, you will not be running for the Umno youth chief post?

No, I did not say that.

What has influenced you to stay on?

Firstly, I’m the Jerlun MP. So I haven’t got around to discussing this matter with my friends there regarding the actions I should be taking. For the time being, I think it is appropriate for me and my friends to stay in the party. We also have to voice out our opinions, be more outspoken so that a drastic change at the top level can be made.

If Pak Lah does not intend to resign, will you support his challenger who will be running against him in the upcoming party elections in December?

I will support if democracy is practiced in the party. If the PM before this has clarified that he would retain his position as president, there’s a possibility that other parties will go against him in the election to fight for the position. If there’s any challenger, then I will give my full support to him.

Even if it is Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah?

We’ll see who will be running for the party elections. I think that we are very open but most importantly, the quota system should be abolished.

Are you worried about criticisms that say while your father has called for other members to emulate him, you as his son, have decided to stay on.

I understand the situation and I have clarified it in my statement. I understand and agree with his decision yesterday. The most important thing is, we have the same goals and visions to save the party and we will start this process by pressuring Pak Lah to step down.

Regarding this issue, I am share this vision with my father.

What is your view regarding the possibility of any Umno member defecting from the party?

Well, again, for the lack of any law disallowing ‘hopping’ from one party to another, there’s no stopping them actually. No one can instruct them to stay and impose upon them to be loyal to the party. If there are any Barisan MPs who are seriously thinking about it, I’m not sure how the leadership could stop them from doing so.

The opposition says in making an exit from Umno, Dr M is desperate and that he should have stayed on until he clears his name regarding the Lingam tape scandal. How do you respond to that?

Resigning from the party does not mean that he is absolved from any supposed accusations against him. He already said before this that he would like to be dragged to court so that he is able to defend himself. And he prefers that this case not be closed so that he could do something about it. So those are mistaken assumptions.

Are you staying back in Umno in order to go for the Umno Youth chief’s post?

I’m staying in Umno to fulfill my aspirations to do something good for the party. Whether it is for any position, it is for the Umno Youth to decide.

Nazri Aziz has claimed that Dr M’s exit from Umno is a ‘dirty tactic’ to pressure Pak Lah to step down.

There’s nothing ‘dirty’ in pressuring the prime minister to step down. Individualism doesn’t matter as much as the importance of the party.

We have to save Umno first. If we were to ignore the rights of the members, and support a weak leadership, then we will have a president with no party. What are we doing all this for if in the next election we will be defeated.

Do you intend to meet Pak Lah personally?

If he wants to see me and if he calls for me to come and see him, I will, of course, oblige.

What would Dr M think about your decision to stay on in Umno, knowing that you haven’t talked to him about it?

To be frank with you, I think he may be disappointed that I’m not following him. When I have the chance, I will explain to him my reasons.

Have you persuaded your father to stay on in Umno?

No, I think it’s not for me to try and persuade him to stay on. He has made a decision and he’s not the type to change his mind.

Why were you absent at the lunchtime meeting Umno MPs had with Pak Lah in Parliament today?

At the end of the lunch, the statement issued would be that all the Umno MPs are 100 percent behind him (Pak Lah). I don’t want to be a part of that.

In the future, will you boycott such meetings?

If I know what the intentions are, and actually I must say, during lunch time, I was getting feedback from my friends about what I should do and I hate to be part of a meeting with the PM which endorses him as the leader when I do not share the same feelings about that. I also have the feeling that some other MPs do not share the stance.

Dr M has criticised that Umno has become a ‘family affair’ but the current PM has said it is the same in your situation.

Dr M is no longer the president of the party. He has no posts whatsoever. When Pak Lah said Dr M resigned, the fact is he was not holding any position. He was just a member, that’s why he said he took an exit from Umno rather than resigning from Umno [...] it means that he returns his membership, unfortunately as the No1 member of the party.

What my father has done is to save the party and he said if Pak Lah steps down at 10 am, he will apply again for Umno membership an hour later.

Some might say that your decision to stay on in Umno is to save the party while some might say that it will just cause a mess in Umno. Your comment.

For me, Umno is already in a mess. I have submitted a personal letter to the prime minister, but no actions have been taken. I took that as a (bad) sign, and I am not the only one who agrees on this.

I am not worried if any action will be taken against me.