NST July 20: No ill-feeling towards Dr M, says Abdullah
No ill-feeling towards Dr M, says Abdullah
20 Jul 2006Hamidah Atan and Deborah Loh
PUTRAJAYA: He may have been on the receiving end of some stinging vitriol over the past few months, but the Prime Minister said he harboured no ill-will against Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
"Why should I have any ill-feeling towards anybody?" said Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. He had felt hurt at the criticism but overcame it quickly, he said.
"When I see him, I will greet him, I will shake his hands, and if there is time to speak, I will say a few words," he said in a Press conference. Abdullah was replying to questions on the state of his relationship with the former prime minister.
When he was in Tokyo recently, Abdullah said, he was the one who made the effort to meet Dr Mahathir in the latter’s room after knowing that the former prime minister was also staying in the same hotel.
Abdullah said he contacted an officer of Dr Mahathir to enquire whether the former prime minister had time for them to meet.
"I did not ask him to come and see me. I went to meet him. As a gesture of friendship, just to exchange greetings," he said.
Dr Mahathir has in recent months been openly critical of Abdullah, accusing him of reneging on promises to continue his policies and putting on hold several projects that he had proposed or started while in office.
In his first comments on the claim, Abdullah said there was an understanding between the two as part of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition’s tradition.
"Of course, there is an understanding that we continue with the policies. That’s the way BN has always operated … but we need to make adjustments because we need to refresh policies as circumstances change and take into account the views of the people.
"The same thing goes to projects or programmes where adjustments have to be made. There is no other agenda but unity, progress and stability."
Abdullah said matters that did not pose any problem previously did so now, such as the rise in oil price and the shortage of sugar.
"When we make a decision, we will know the reaction of the people. If the people do not like it, then we are in trouble. If we do not consider the interests of the people, we will face the consequences in the next election."
When told that Dr Mahathir wanted the Government to right what was wrong, Abdullah replied: "What is wrong, we will put it right. The Government has its own perception. The Government has information.
"The perspective of the Government cannot be the same as that of an individual because we look at things from a wide angle and in totality.
"We make the best decision based on the situation at that time."
On whether more documents would be declassified, Abdullah said he did not think so.
Abdullah said the Government would provide the answers to all issues which had been raised. "We have to provide the information as far as the bridge is concerned. Maybe, there are two or three other things that need that kind of detailed explanation. We will give. Rakyat want the information, so, we will provide (the answers). There is nothing the Government wants to hide."
