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| “When I leave I leave completely”
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KUALA
LUMPUR, July 3 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Veteran Malaysian
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Wednesday, July 3, he would play no
further role in government after stepping down in October 2003 and
pledged full support for his named successor, Deputy Premier Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi.
“When
I leave I leave completely. I’m not going to hold any position in the
party or government,” a relaxed and smiling Mahathir told a news
conference on his return from a 10-day holiday in Europe, breaking his
silence over his shock resignation, Agence France-Presse (AFP) said.
“I’ve
served for 21 years. I think 21 years is quite a long time for a prime
minister,” he said, adding that he had originally planned on being
premier for just “six or seven years”.
In
an apparent reference to a loss of support after the sacking and jailing
of his former deputy Anwar Ibrahim in 1998, he said: “I have worked to
my best abilities to improve the party, and believe that the party has
recovered and support for the party is strong again, so I am not running
from my responsibility.”
Asked
whether he would stand for parliament in the next elections, he laughed
and said: “I will think about it when the time comes.”
An
election is not due until late 2004, but his answer, taken together with
his pledge to quit all party and political posts, could indicate that it
will be held before he steps down, AFP reported.
Mahathir
said that in the 16-month transition period, he would ensure that all
government policies remained in place and that there would be no power
struggle within the party.
“There
will be no difference in policies and I will give my full support to
Abdullah and my colleagues. I am confident we can work well in the
interest of the party and nation,” he said.
“I
obtained an agreement that there will be no power struggle and other
unpleasant things in the party.”
Earlier,
Mahathir was garlanded with flowers after stepping off a government jet
at the Royal Malaysian Air Force Base outside the capital Kuala Lumpur,
where thousands of supporters held banners reading “Dr. M. We love
you” and “Welcome home hero of our homeland”.
As
they chanted “Long Live Mahathir”, he told them: “I have decided
that the decision I made is the best for all of us, for the country, the
people, for the joint development in this country.”
The
last time Mahathir appeared in public he was in tears amid astonishing
scenes at his ruling party congress on June 22, where he was mobbed
before he could finish a declaration of his intent to quit his political
posts.
Within
hours, and without another word in public, he flew off to Italy, and
three days later party leaders announced that he would retire in October
2003 and hand over power to his deputy, Abdullah.
Mahathir
said Wednesday that if he had been allowed to finish his speech at the
assembly, he would have announced that he was quitting immediately, but
was persuaded to stay on.
He
said that whenever he had previously told leaders and friends about his
intention to quit, “all those I spoke to wanted me to continue, if I
could, till the end of my lifetime.”
So
he decided to simply plunge ahead with his resignation announcement at
the assembly without warning anybody.
Mahathir
said the 16-month transition period was later decided upon so that he
could host a summit in Kuala Lumpur in October next year of the
Organization of the Islamic Conference.
He
said he had asked Abdullah “some time back, if he was ready to take
over and he stated his readiness to take over.”
Asked
why he had been so emotional at the party assembly, the 76-year-old
leader said: “Parting is always a sad thing. Being associated a whole
three quarters of my lifetime with the party, of course I felt rather
sad that I would have to take this decision.
“Also
I am getting old, people will get emotional.”
