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A Worn Out Mahathir Retracts From Resignation
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| Mahathir Mohamad offered and rapidly withdrew his resignation
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By
Kazi Mahmood, IOL Southeast Asia Correspondent
KUALA
LUMPUR, June 23 (IslamOnline) - A worn out Malaysian Premier Mahathir
Mohamad shocked Malaysia on Saturday evening when he announced his
resignation, but left the population gazing after his immediate
retraction, which took place during his party’s Annual Meeting in
Kuala Lumpur.
In
the streets of Kuala Lumpur, the crowds were preparing for the World
Cup quarterfinal game between Senegal and Turkey, when the news broke
out that Mahathir had resigned from all his posts.
The
eyes were riveted on Television sets in shopping complexes with crowds
in disbelief looking at Mahathir in tears announcing his resignation.
However,
many in the streets also believed that Mahathir would retract and the
situation would be under control. Malaysia was at a standstill for one
hour, the people waiting for the final decision of the ruling Malay
party, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), whom Mahathir
leads.
Deputy
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced that Mahathir had
retracted from his earlier decision to resign. His announcement sent a
wave of relief within the ranks of the government of the UMNO, where
most of the people present at the party’s annual meeting were in
tears.
Mahathir
stood at the podium to make his round-up speech when he suddenly
announced that as from this Saturday he is resigning from his posts.
The
wildest commentaries were floating in Kuala Lumpur during the one-hour
stand-by. Party Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) supporters in particular cried
foul after hearing that Mahathir had decided to stay on.
“Mahathir
is really an actor. Everything he does is acting,” said a PAS
supporter who believed Mahathir just wanted to tighten the ranks of
his party with his move.
Other
PAS supporters openly commented in Masjid India, a bustling business
area in Kuala Lumpur that had Mahathir resigned, the party was assured
of a clean sweep in the next general elections of 2004.
They
commented that Mahathir’s immediate successor vice premier Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi was no match for PAS heavy weights and that the latter
would not be able to lead the UMNO to victory.
Others
commented that the tears of Mahathir on television was too familiar to
them as the Prime Minister was seen crying at least twice before and
during UMNO’s general assemblies.
However,
an analyst told IslamOnline that Mahathir’s move had more to do with
the Malay-Muslim community in Malaysia than anything else.
He
said that Mahathir had earlier made a speech in which he said he had
failed to help the Malay community progress economically.
Mahathir
strongly criticized the Malays for what he called their “lethargy”
and tried to boost their moral to be stronger in order to compete with
other communities in business and other sectors.
IslamOnline
was also told that Mahathir intended to resign only to show the Malay
community that he was ready to leave everything if the Malays did not
react to his speech and calls for change in the community.
Mahathir
also knows a large section of the Malay community does not support
him, preferring his former deputy Anwar Ibrahim, who is in jail for a
sodomy and corruption case.
He
probably wanted to give up due to pressure regarding the Anwar Ibrahim
issue, an UMNO member, who works in the IT section of the party at the
PWTC head quarters, told IslamOnline.
On
the streets, while Mahathir announced his resignation, there was a
sensation of gaiety among few sectors of people watching the news.
Many declared there would be celebrations if Mahathir were to resign,
indicating the level of popularity of Mahathir among the local Malays.
Despite
turning the country from a little known rubber exporter into a fast
track modern nation, Mahathir has failed to recapture the support of
the Malay community after the jailing and manhandling of Anwar
Ibrahim.
Ibrahim
was a potential successor, loved by the Malays, who challenged
Mahathir to the succession before his revocation, sources told
IslamOnline.
Ibrahim
is serving a 15 years jail sentence that is certain to leave him out
of politics even after his release in 10 years time.
Aged
78, Mahathir is the longest serving prime minister in Malaysia.
Bernama
News agency wrote that Mahathir's sure-footedness in economic matters
was his bold advocacy of selective capital controls in the aftermath
of the 1997-1998 regional currency crises.
Pegging
the ringgit at 3.80 to the U.S. dollar over the last four years has
helped businesses operating in Malaysia to be cushioned from the
vagaries of foreign currency fluctuations as a result of machinations
by currency manipulators, the news agency said in praise of Mahathir.
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