Is the PM offended?

The PM Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would not be happy about two incidents that happened after the BN major set-back in the 12th General Election.






The first incident is about the appointment of Perlis Mentri Besar and the second incident is about Mukhriz’s letter asking for his resignation.

Datuk Dr Md Isa Sabu who was on March 14 appointed Mentri Besar by the Raja of Perlis and Dr Md Isa Sabu is not the person that Abdullah recommended.

Datuk Dr Md Isa Sabu said eight assemblymen were supporting him compared to five who were backing former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim.

“Under the Perlis Constitution, I have the confidence of the majority and officially I am the Mentri Besar.

“I am the new Mentri Besar while Shahidan is the former Mentri Besar,” he said on March 15 when contacted.

It is learnt that the nine assemblymen including Dr Md Isa had told the Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail that they wished for a change in the state leadership.

The group proposed that Dr Md Isa head the state instead of Shahidan who has been the Mentri Besar since 1995.

In the elections, Barisan Nasional won 14 state seats in the state while PAS won one seat.

Dr Md Isa said Shahidan only received a letter from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi recommending him (Shahidan) for the Mentri Besar’s post.

“But under the state constitution, it is the prerogative of the Raja of Perlis to
decide who commands the confidence of the majority to be appointed Mentri Besar.

Can the PM accept Raja of Perlis’ new arrangement? Or how can he change this?

The second incident is the son of former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad had on March 14( Friday ) asked Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to resign following the ruling coalition's election debacle at the weekend.

"I'm asking him to resign," Mukhriz Mahathir, a senior executive member of the United Malays National Organisation (UNMO) and who commands factional support within the party, told the media on the phone. He had written a letter to the premier on March 12(Wednesday).

He is the first ruling party leader to demand that Abdullah step down, although his father has also urged the prime minister to resign over the party's worst election setback in its 50-year rule.

The PM said that he has left it to UMNO Youth to take action against Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir.

The PM said,”A day before he sent the letter to me, he issued a statement voicing support for me and that collective responsibility must be taken for what happened and several other statements that were seens positive towards me.

Abdullah said, “This letter (asking Abdullah to step down” contradicts the stand taken by UMNO and the UMNO Youth movement.”

Of course, people will say this letter asking the PM to resign actually came from Mahathir. This is just a guess. However, this is the first written request.

Tun Mahathir Mohamad had also written a letter to the first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman asking the latter to step down because of the set-back in the 1969 general election. Tun Mahathir Mohamad was sacked by UMNO. Would Mukhriz Mahathir face the same fate?

MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting faced more pressure from his members. Many people have asked Ong to step down and the prominent one will be Datuk Chua Jui Meng, Yap Pian Hong, Tong Mu and so on.