Mahathir: I'm treated like a pariah


Once feted by everyone, now shunned by many, laments Malaysia's former PM

By Reme Ahmad
The Straits Times

JUST three years ago, people queued up to meet Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Umno leaders hailed his leadership and reporters hung on to his every word.

How times have changed. Today, the former prime minister laments that he is treated like a 'pariah'.

He has been stopped from meeting old friends and academics while the mainstream newspapers have blacked out news about him, he claims.

'This seems to be the new party culture. They prevent members from speaking up and only those who support them get to speak.

'I am the former party president yet they don't want me to talk to the members. I can't even meet them. Universities are barred from inviting me and newspapers are prevented from reporting about me.

'I am becoming a pariah in the party,' he was quoted as saying in Alor Star on Sunday.

Yesterday, the 81-year-old politician addressed about 200 supporters at a function organised by a website friendly to his cause. The event was held at his Perdana Leadership Foundation.

Ironically, despite his call for more publicity, the event was held behind closed doors and reporters were not allowed to attend.

According to two people who attended the function, Tun Dr Mahathir reiterated at the meeting the same issues that he has been speaking about in public, including matters on the cancelled bridge project and his plan to attend Umno's annual assembly in November.

Tun Dr Mahathir has also charged that several Umno Supreme Council members have said that his plan to become a delegate at the party's annual assembly in November was inappropriate for a former party president.

Given his bitter attacks on his successor as Prime Minister, Umno leaders are wary of the man who ruled for 22 years until October 2003.

Since he began hitting out at the leadership of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi four months ago, Tun Mahathir has become the government's fiercest critic.

This has caused Umno's top leaders to privately warn party divisions and leaders against inviting him to give talks.

Tun Dr Mahathir alleged in a speech in Kedah last week that when he was invited to speak in Kelantan in July, Umno leaders in Kelantan received 'a call from Perth' to stop him from speaking there.

At that time, Datuk Seri Abdullah was holidaying in Perth.

The unofficial ban has meant that so far, Tun Dr Mahathir has only managed to get invited to one Umno divisional meeting to speak - in Selangor's North Petaling Jaya division.

His other public speaking engagements, while attended by many party members, were organised by other groups.

His aides say that government universities have also been told not to invite him, which left him with only a few avenues for his voice to be heard.

The government's paranoia level was raised last week after Tun Mahathir announced that he wanted to be picked as a delegate to attend Umno's much-watched annual assembly.

He has also raised concerns with his allegations, unsubstantiated to date, that he has documents to show that the Malaysian government offered to sell sand to Singapore. He claims to have proof of corruption, which he says has not been pursued by the authorities.

Little wonder then that his bid to speak sends danger signals to Umno's bigwigs, as his attendance at the main hall of the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) could openly split the party.

'So far, those who wanted to hear him speak have gone to his functions. But now he is causing us headaches by wanting to come to our meeting,' said a KL Umno divisional leader.

Umno's headquarters is located at the PWTC where the annual meetings are held.

Party elders have lined up to say that his plan to attend the meeting as a delegate was unusual, as he was the former Umno president.

Said Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak: 'For someone who has reached the top-most level of the party as president and prime minister and who has received the highest honour, to come down as a normal delegate is something that can be interpreted in many ways.

'Many feel that it is not appropriate for Dr Mahathir to do this.'

Tun Dr Mahathir not only wanted to attend, he also planned to get permission to speak at the meeting.

Retired former leaders are invited to these annual functions, where they are given red-carpet treatment and sit at the front row.

But they are seen, but never heard.

Tun Dr Mahathir has every intention of being seen - and heard, and that is the problem.

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