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Thursday, August 21, 2014

7 reasons Dr M has withdrawn support for Najib

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has listed seven reasons, from direct cash aids to trade pacts, which have upset him enough to withdraw support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak this month.

News portal Asia Sentinel today quoted a businessman with strong Umno links as saying that Dr Mahathir had sent a letter to Najib which reportedly listed seven demands.

However, Najib instead sent Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor to meet Dr Mahathir and ask him to withdraw the letter, but the former prime minister refused.

"Dr Mahathir refused to withdraw the letter and a stalemate has resulted in a standoff between the past and present premiers of Malaysia," Asia Sentinel said.

The Umno general assembly is scheduled to be held in November, which led Dr Mahathir to increase his campaign against Najib.

Asia Sentinel said Dr Mahathir's anger had been simmering even before the 13th general election last year, in which Barisan Nasional performed badly.

In the May 5, 2103 polls, BN lost the popular vote to Pakatan Rakyat for the first time in 44 years, although the ruling coalition still formed the government.

Dr Mahathir's criticism of Najib's administration has been published widely and reported by independent news portals although the mainstream media chose to ignore it.

Among the demands made by Dr Mahathir include reforming the 1Malaysia Development Berhad sovereign fund, which is saddled with debts of up to RM36 billion.

Dr Mahathir also complained that national oil and gas conglomerate Petronas was not giving enough contracts to Bumiputeras.

Asia Sentinel reported that Dr Mahathir's resignation from Petronas as its adviser in October 2013 was not because of health reasons, as reported, but because of his irritation with Najib.

"Dr Mahathir also disliked Najib being too accommodating with the United States due to the ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) negotiations."

Malaysia's longest-serving prime minister of 22 years was reported to be offended that he had not been invited to attend a dinner with US President Barack Obama.

"This was during Obama's visit to Malaysia in April this year when Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was invited for the dinner but Dr Mahathir was not," it said.

Dr Mahathir also disagreed with Putrajaya giving out 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) to low-income groups as it broke the national budget.

BR1M payments this year are reported to have totalled RM4 billion, benefitting some six million people.

Dr Mahathir also demanded that ailing national carrier Malaysia Airlines be turned over to tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary.

Despite losing billions of ringgit, Malaysia Airlines has endured a wretched 2014, losing two commercial aircraft in which more than 500 lives were lost.

Asia Sentinel also said Dr Mahathir blamed Najib for the breakdown in racial and religious tensions in Malaysia, which have worsened over time.

"However, there is an irony here as Dr Mahathir has backed Malay rights group Perkasa, headed by Datuk Ibrahim Ali," the portal said.

"Perkasa has made numerous incendiary statements about Malay racial superiority and special rights, on which Putrajaya has remained silent."

Although Dr Mahathir has been away from the corridors of power since he stepped down in 2003, Asia Sentinel said that the 89-year-old had a formidable track record.

"Dr Mahathir forced the ouster of former prime ministers Tun Abdul Rahman and Tun Hussein Onn.

"During his tenure in office, Dr Mahathir has seen off challenges from the likes of Tengku Razaleigh Tengku Hamzah, Tun Musa Hitam and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

"All of these individuals were once finance or deputy prime Ministers who had attempted to unseat Dr Mahathir only to come up short at the final hurdle."

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