Dr M should stop making noise, says Johor Sultan
Dr M should stop making noise, says Johor Sultan
NST, 26 Oct 2006Ravi Nambiar and M.K. Megan
JOHOR BARU: The Sultan of Johor said yesterday that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad should behave like a pensioner and stop "making noise".
He also called on the people to join him in supporting the administration of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
In an impromptu speech after Aidilfitri prayers at the Sultan Abu Bakar Mosque here, he said he was sad and disappointed at the continuing criticism of Abdullah’s leadership by his predecessor.
"I have something to say," Sultan Iskandar al-Marhum Sultan Ismail told Muslims as he took over the microphone after the prayers and sermon by the imam.
He said he was saddened by the feud, especially since he knew both leaders personally and considered them as his sahabat (friends).
(Abdullah and Dr Mahathir are recipients of the Darjah Kerabat Johor Yang Amat Dihormati, Pangkat Pertama (DK1).
(The DK or The Most Esteemed Family Order of Johor, is normally awarded to royalty, but it is occasionally given to commoners who have given valuable service to the Ruler and the state).
Alluding to Dr Mahathir’s recent attacks against Abdullah, the Sultan said: "If one has already been pensioned, just behave like a pensioner, what is the use of making more noise?"
Among those in the congregation were the Tunku Mahkota Johor, Tunku Ibrahim Ismail; Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman, state executive councillors and heads of government departments and community leaders.
During Umno’s 60th anniversary celebrations at Istana Johor in May, the sultan had tried to patch things up between Abdullah and Dr Mahathir by asking them to be photographed together in a group picture with him and other Umno leaders.
Dr Mahathir told reporters on Monday — the day after a peace meeting with Abdullah — that he would continue with his criticism to "save Umno from a bad leadership", and until there was change.
He has escalated his attacks on the current administration in the past six months, accusing Abdullah of jeopardising economic expansion and achieving nothing since taking over in 2003.
Among his key grouses are the scrapping of several of his pet projects, including building a bridge to replace the Causeway across the Johor Strait.
Two Singapore ministers called on the Sultan at Istana Bukit Serene on Tuesday.
Education Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Lim Swee Say came with their spouses.
It has been a long-established tradition for Singapore leaders to make trips across the Causeway to call on the Sultan for Hari Raya.
The visits underscore the importance of the bilateral ties between Singapore and Malaysia which have been growing warmer in the past few years, after a series of high-level visits by the top leaders of both countries.
The Sultan showed off his collection of baby crocodiles. Then it was off to a sumptuous two-hour lunch.
"There is great friendship on both sides — a lot of renewing of facts and acquaintances and happenings and updating each other on what’s happening on both sides," Shanmugaratnam told reporters.
Lim, who was making his first visit to the palace as a member of the Singapore Cabinet, said it was a testimony of the special relationship between Singapore and Johor, as well as Singapore and Malaysia.
"I think we live in a fast changing world. But I hope, and both sides hope, that this special relationship will keep strengthening," he said.
Prime Minister to give detailed reply
KUALA LUMPUR: The Prime Minister will provide a lengthy and detailed reply to all issues raised by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad at their four-eyed meeting on Sunday.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said that Abdullah called an emergency meeting with the Umno management committee.
"He briefed us on the meeting. We have taken note of the issues raised and we are prepared to give a detailed reply.
"Tun did not give the Prime Minister much time to speak during the meeting. Tun’s questions were lengthy and there were too many issues. It will take time to prepare the answers."
On Sunday, the two leaders met at the official residence of the Prime Minister where Dr Mahathir aired his grouses for about one-and-a-half hours.
Soon after the meeting, Dr Mahathir said that although he was satisfied that the meeting took place, he was not happy with the response he got from Abdullah.
At a Press conference on Monday, Dr Mahathir repeated his criticisms of Abdullah.
"I spoke to the Prime Minister after the four-eyed meeting and he told me that he wants to prepare a detailed and lengthy reply on all the issues raised by Tun. He is prepared to give complete answers," said Najib.
When reminded that most of the issues raised by Dr Mahathir had been asked by him before and had been answered, Najib said the former Prime Minister wanted detailed explanations for some of the issues.
Najib was, however, not sure if the reply would be during another face-to-face meeting or in writing. "It is up to the Prime Minister," he said.
Najib was speaking to reporters after receiving more than 180,000 visitors to the Hari Raya open house hosted by the Muslim ministers at the Putra World Trade Centre on Tuesday.
Asked to respond on Dr Mahathir’s move to give a statement immediately after the meeting, Najib said he was "shocked" by Dr Mahathir’s move. "We were taken aback by Tun’s immediate response.
"I was under the impression that it was a private four-eyed meeting. Umno members and I hoped that the meeting would be the beginning of efforts to mend relationship between the two personalities. We thought something positive would come out of it for the sake of the nation and the party.
"I was surprised with the development. Like most people, I too, thought it (the meeting) could be a beginning of working things out between the Prime Minister and Tun.
"Tun has come out with such strong criticism after the meeting. We had hoped for better things to happen between the two for the sake of the party and nation but it is not working out the way we expected."
Asked when the reply would be sent to Dr Mahathir, Najib said it would be decided after the Hari Raya celebrations.
The PM, when approached for comments on the meeting with the former prime minister, refused to say anything. "This is not the right day to comment on the issue."
When asked if there were any specific topics the people who visited him at the Hari Raya open house had asked, he said the people told him that he was doing a fine job as the Prime Minister and had asked him to continue. "They said ‘We will support you’," he said.
Pressed further to comment on the meeting, Abdullah, who was in a jovial mood, said: "No. I am not talking on that subject. There will be a time for that. Now you all (reporters) stop working and go and enjoy the food."
Ministers express their unhappiness
Like other Malaysians, Cabinet members were disappointed that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad expanded his attack on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi a day after their peace talks on Sunday. These are their comments.
* Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yasin said Umno members were taken aback by the intensity of Dr Mahathir’s criticism.
"We are shocked by this sad turn of events. Dr Mahathir has thrown cold water on the hopes of many who wanted this meeting to bring an end to this spat.
* Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz described Dr Mahathir as the country’s "biggest problem today".
"It’s just him taking pot shots at our Prime Minister. I’m disgusted and really disappointed because this is a month of forgiveness and just a day before Hari Raya he makes a statement like that. It is most unbecoming of a Muslim."
Nazri said the Cabinet made decisions collectively and all 32 ministers could not be wrong.
"We should all just forget about him and proceed with what we do. Who is he to say whether we are right or wrong? We do not have a system where former prime ministers have to say what we have done wrong. Who appointed him? It’s ridiculous."
* Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad said he was disappointed with the exchange.
"We can only pray that the situation calms down, though at the moment I do not see this happening. There is much work for the present administration to carry out and they should be left to the task.
"I’m sad because after one day, things look like they are back to square one. I was hoping things would get better. I still hope."
* Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said there was no lack of development projects or contracts in the country.
He said 55 projects had already been tendered since the Public Works Department began calling for tenders in June and another 140 projects were expected to be tendered by the end of this year.
"These projects amount to RM3.5 billion. Hundreds of contractors have taken their documents. Work is being done by the ministry," he said refuting Dr Mahathir’s claims that the economy was in bad shape and contracts were hard to come by.
* Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein was surprised at the allegation that he prevented others from contesting the number two position in the youth movement to make way for Khairy Jamaluddin. "Tun also knows that sometimes when we want to contest but the delegates do not want us, they will not accept us. If the delegates want us then they will accept us.
"Umno delegates are not stupid," he said, adding that by saying he was preventing others from contesting amounted to trivialising the Umno supreme council.
* Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz said if Dr Mahathir was unhappy with certain things, he should say them in private to Abdullah.
In his meeting with Abdullah, Dr Mahathir had said, he raised the issue of abuse of the Approved Permits scheme and expressed surprise that she was still in the Cabinet.
"If he talks about things openly without checking his facts, the damage is done. If untrue allegations are made, like those made against me, I cannot accept that, I’m sorry, because it mars my integrity."
* Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Khaled Nordin said it was not right for Dr Mahathir to "tell the whole world what happened" when the objective of a one-to-one meeting was for it to be private.
* Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Mustapa Mohamad said it was obvious that Dr Mahathir did not want to accept Abdullah’s explanation.
"The government accepts criticisms but it must be constructive. But these comments he makes are sarcastic. It looks like Tun questions everything the government does. This is not appropriate for an ex-prime minister," he said.
* Information Minister Datuk Zainuddin Maidin said Dr Mahathir made a political miscalculation when he revealed the substance of his meeting with Abdullah.
"When everyone was hoping for a settlement before Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Dr Mahathir had revealed matters of a sensitive nature discussed at the meeting."
