An April Fools Day That Wasn’t

A Kadir Jasin

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I am not much of an April Fools Day celebrant -- at least not since leaving school 1968.

But I must admit that, for a moment, I was fooled by an SMS that says the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had resigned. It was only upon reading the last few words that I realised it was an April Fools’ joke.

Well, after listening to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s scathing attacks on his handpicked successor at a super-charged Kmu.Net forum at the Singgahsana Hotel in Pelating Jaya, the April Fools Day became too real to be of any fun.

The former Prime Minister, while acknowledging his culpability in appointing Abdullah, took his war of words a step further by calling his successor “tak malu” (shameless) for not wanting to resign after leading the ruling Barisan Nasional to the dismal poll outcome.

It's worth mentioning that a young man who claimed to be an Umno branch member was loudly booed when he asked if Umno would consider bringing back the former Deputy Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim.

The poor young man had to be escorted out of the hall for his own safety. It was a shame, a big shame. I thought such a thing should not have happened. He should been allowed to speak his mind out. You want the support of young people, you have to listen to them.

[UPDATE, March 3]

I Will Not Resign As Prime Minister, Says Abdullah

By Tengku Noor Shamsiah Tengku Abdullah

PUTRAJAYA, April 2 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Wednesday denied speculations that he would step down as prime minister.

Abdullah reiterated his stand that he would not run away from his responsibility as the prime minister.

"I am here. I am here. I am here. They make all the speculations that I want to run away, I've resigned. Why should I resign."

My Government has got a strong majority (although) not the two-thirds (majority), but very strong... that is the stand of support. Why I must run away from my entrusted responsibility," he told Bernama after a "four-eye" meeting with Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said at his office here.

Abdullah was asked to comment on the speculations.Speculations on the matter arose following calls by some leaders, including his predecessor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, that Abdullah should step down to assume responsibility for the Barisan Nasional's poor showing in last month's general election.

The BN lost its long-held two-thirds majority in parliament after winning only 140 of the 222 parliamentary while the Opposition captured 82 seats.

The BN also lost control of Penang, Perak, Selangor and Kedah besides failing to regain Kelantan from PAS.Abdullah's lack of public appearance lately also lent credence to the speculation.-- BERNAMA

[CONTINUATION OF ORIGINAL POST]

But clearly there was so much anger among Umno members and supporters who were present at the forum to discuss the future of the party in the aftermath of the 12th general election.

Still it was brave of the former Selangor Menteri Besar, Dr Mohd Khir Toyo, to be among the speakers. Other were the newly elected MP for Jerlun and Umno Youth executive council member, Mukhriz Mahathir and the outspoken Johor Umno Information Chief, Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi.

Dr Khir, who bravely took responsibility for losing the state and resigned as State Liaison Chief, bore the brunt of the abuse. It was quite an experience seeing a senior Umno figure getting such a dressing down in public.

There’s still hope for Umno if a “pembesar” like Dr Khir is willing to face ordinary members of the party in a dialogue. I am sure he has learnt a very useful lesson after his belated baptism of fire.

Understandably, Mukhriz and Zarkashi, being outspoken critics of the leadership, were well received by the Kmu.Net crowd.

The young women and men at the Internet news portal should be congratulated to their bravery in organising the forum. They can rightly claim the credit. I am told they are planning to take the forum to other states.

Other than repeating his call for Abdullah to accept responsibility for the debacle and step down, Dr Mahathir also wanted members to be brave.

He wanted them to support Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s proposal for an extraordinary general meeting and do away with the quote system that limits leadership challenge against party president and deputy president.

In a surprise move, he no longer confines his support to Mohd Najib Abdul Razak as potential presidential candidate saying that apart from Tengku Razaleigh, who had offered his candidacy, they could be others like vice-president Muhyiddin Yassin.

Asked by the audience if he was no longer supporting Mohd Najib, Dr Mahathir said others should also be given the change to challenge Abdullah, if they have the courage and conviction to save Umno.

While Dr Mahathir and his enthusiastic audience, which was put at more than 1,000 by Malaysiakini, were trying to shoo Abdullah away, the opposition parties were planning their own very shocking April Fools Day joke for the ruling coalition by firming up their pact.

Calling it the “Pakatan Rakyat” – the People’s Alliance – the coalition among the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Pan Malaysian Islamic Party (Pas) was announced at a joint press conference attended by the PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

Anwar said leaders of the three parties would bring the agreement back to their members for approval, adding that the alliance would hold its inaugural conference after getting the endorsement.

Also present was the new parliamentary opposition leader, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is PKR president and Anwar's wife.

"Pakatan Rakyat pledges to uphold the rights and interests of all Malaysians as enshrined in the Constitution," said Anwar.

Henceforth, the governments of Kelantan, Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor would be known as Pakatan Rakyat state governments.

It is noteworthy to mention that the BN’s predecessor was called the Alliance or Perikatan in the Malay language.

So it wasn’t after all a “syok-syok saja” pact as the Prime Minister had said on the April 24 nomination day. Once again the opposition is having the last laugh.

On a very, very personal note, my 83-year-old dad, a man who swore he would live and die as an Umno member, is pretty happy with the Kedah Pas-led state government.

He said, unlike in previous general elections, Pas campaigners were not rude and they were even humble when they won the election.

Being pondok-educated, he has only praises for the Pakatan Rakyat Menteri Besar, Azizan Abdul Razak, especially of the fact that he received his Syariah Law bachelor’s degree from the venerable Al-Azhar and Masters from the University of Kent in England.

“Dia mengaji agama lagi tinggi dari Pak Lah,” (He is more highly educated in religious studies than Pak Lah), declared my dad.

In a stopover in Penang to hear Dr Mahathir speaking at the Georgetown Malay Association annual general meeting on March 30, I heard the same thing said of the Pakatan Rakyat Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng.

“Majlis Maulidur Rasul pun dia pi,” (He even attended the Prophet’s birthday celebration), exclaimed a woman who is a member of the association’s committee when we sat for tea.

A DAP Chief Minister attending Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) birthday celebration had to a newsworthy event!

When crawling across the jam-packed Penang Bridge, I sent an SMS to the YAB “seeking his permission to enter his state.” I was just trying my luck and was not really expecting a reply.
But in less than 20 minutes he did, not via an SMS but a phone call.

In short he said I should not have been so formal. “No YAB, YABlah. Call me Guan Eng like usuallah,” was what he told me. “Lagi pun, you’re my guru (teacher) what?”

Alamak, me a teacher to a DAP leader? Well, I can’t deny that I know Lim Guan Eng for fairly long time. Even in the worst of circumstances, like when I was editing the Berita Harian and the New Straits Times, we maintained our civility and occasionally exchanged greetings.

Thank you and good luck YAB.