Dr M nasihat Pak Lah 'fikir dulu'.

Dr M nasihat Pak Lah 'fikir dulu'... Feb 4, 09 2:38pm

Bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad menasihatkan Presiden Umno, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi supaya 'fikir dahulu' sebelum menerima bekas ahli dewan undangan negeri (Adun) PKR di Perak menyertai Umno.

"Presiden Umno berkata Umno sedia untuk menerima siapa sahaja untuk menjadi ahli. Ini memanglah dasar parti," katanya.

Bagaimanapun, Dr Mahathir menulis dalam blognya hari ini, kedua-dua Adun PKR itu mempunyai masalah kerana mereka dituduh terlibat dengan rasuah.

Beliau mengulas tindakan dua Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) PKR, Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (Behrang) dan Osman Jailu (Changkat Jering) yang keluar parti dan kini menjadi wakil rakyat bebas.

"Apakah Umno begitu terdesak sehingga tidak dapat tunggu keputusan mahkamah berkenaan tuduhan terhadap mereka sebelum menerima mereka?" soalnya.

Jamaluddin dan Osman menghadapi tuduhan menerima rasuah berhubung kelulusan permohonan projek perumahan bernilai RM180 juta di Sri Iskandar, Perak Tengah.

Perbicaraan kes berkenaan akan bermula di Mahkamah Sesyen di Ipoh selama tiga hari bermula 10 Februari ini.

Dr Mahathir berkata, jika mereka diterima sekarang dan kemudian mereka didapati tidak bersalah, maka kerajaan pimpinan Umno (lebih kurang) akan dituduh mempengaruhi mahkamah.

"Benar tidak benar bukan soalnya. Pada pandangan masyarakat tuduhan ini tetap akan dipercayai. Ia akan punyai kesan dalam PRU13," tambahnya ketika mengulas perkembangan terkini di Perak sekarang.

"Umno sudah dianggap bergelumang dengan rasuah, selalu mungkir janji, mengutamakan kroni Perdana Menteri di Terengganu.

"Jika kepada semua ini ditambah pula dengan penerimaan orang yang dituduh melakukan rasuah seks, imej Umno akan jadi lebih buruk," kata Dr Mahathir.

"Dato Abdullah Presiden Umno, fikir dahulu sebelum beria-ia nak terima orang yang seperti ini," katanya.

__,_._,___

Sabah mahu kepimpinan contohi Pak Lah

KOTA KINABALU 18 Nov. - Ketua Pergerakan Wanita UMNO, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz diminta mencontohi pengorbanan, Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yang sanggup mempercepatkan tarikh peralihan kuasa dari Jun 2010 ke Mac 2009.

Ketua Penerangan Wanita UMNO Sabah, Datuk Jainab Ahmad berkata, tindakan yang sama perlu dilakukan Rafidah demi perpaduan parti dan bukan untuk kepentingan diri.

"Kalau Perdana Menteri boleh berkorban untuk anak bangsa dan negara dengan meninggalkan jawatan, mengapa Rafidah tidak boleh melakukannya?

"Justeru, kami sebagai Wanita UMNO Sabah merayu supaya peralihan kuasa antara Rafidah dan naib ketuanya, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil dipercepatkan dari Jun 2009 kepada Mac," katanya.

Beliau yang juga Pembantu Menteri Pembangunan Perindustrian Sabah berkata demikian pada sidang akhbar selepas persidangan Dewan Undangan Negeri Sabah Ke-13 di sini hari ini.

Jainab mengulas kemelut yang melanda Wanita UMNO selepas Rafidah bertegas dengan keputusannya pada Selasa iaitu mengekalkan pelan peralihan kuasa antaranya dan Shahrizat.

Bagaimanapun sehari selepas itu, Shahrizat meminta agar tarikh pelan peralihan diselaraskan semula, tetapi gagal meyakinkan Rafidah dan sebilangan anggota Exco Wanita berkenaan yang mahu ia dikekalkan.

Jainab berkata, bagi mendapat sokongan penuh semua Ketua Wanita UMNO di Sabah supaya sebulat suara menyokong pelan peralihan itu dipercepatkan, satu mesyuarat khas akan diadakan.

"Wanita UMNO Sabah akan mengadakan mesyuarat dalam masa terdekat, sebelum ini 14 daripada 25 Wanita UMNO bahagian telah pun menyatakan persetujuan," katanya.

Sementara itu, Ketua Wanita UMNO Beaufort, Datuk Azizah Mohd. Dun pula meminta supaya kemelut tersebut tidak dipanjangkan lagi dan mencari penyelesaian yang terbaik.

Menteri Pembangunan Masyarakat dan Hal Ehwal Pengguna Sabah itu berkata, kenyataan yang berbeza dan tidak sependapat hanya akan mengeruhkan lagi keadaan.

"Diharap dihentikan kenyataan yang bercanggah di antara satu sama lain dan berbincang semula secara bijaksana dan matang," katanya.

Pak Lah to go come March

By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi will not defend the Umno presidency.

He told leaders of the Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties here today that he will quit as party president by March next year.

This will pave the way for Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is favoured to win the party presidency, to take over as Prime Minister if BN remains in power then.

"I will not stand for the presidency of Umno in the coming elections. My current term as Umno president ends in March next year," he told reporters after the meeting.

Bringing the curtains down on over 45 years of civil service and governance, he said that his decision was to make sure there would be no split in either Umno or BN.

"I have always been guided by my conscience. I do not want a divided party and governing coalition but one that is united. This is not the time for infighting," he explained.

He reiterated that between now and March, he would continue to push his reform platform.

Abdullah promised to table in Parliament legislation for the formation of a Judicial Appointment Commission and an anti-corruption body modelled after Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).The prime minister said he hoped to hand over the reins to his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

"I say hope because he is standing for election as president of Umno first. I believe he can win," he said, adding that the hand-over of the premiership would be discussed after Najib was elected as his successor by Umno.

According to Abdullah, the supreme council had accepted Najib as the designated successor.

When asked what he would do if nominated by Umno divisions for the party polls, he replied, "I have made my decision and I have said so. What can I do if they nominate me when I have informed them of my decision at such an early stage?"

He however, admitted that he had not done well enough in the March 8 general elections, where BN lost its two-thirds majority in Parliament and ceded five state governments to the opposition.

"So it's time somebody else takes over. We need a new generation of leaders and there's nothing wrong with that."

"I do not regret what I've done. How the people act and respond to that is up to them to decide," he replied when asked if he was sorry that he had opened up and liberalised the country.

"I feel alright. BN still leads, it is the party that has formed the government and will remain strong until next General Election."

BN leaders had little to say to Pak Lah

By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider

They came, they heard, they left.

There was no debate, and neither were there pleas for Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi to stay back when the Prime Minister met Barisan Nasional (BN) supreme council leaders to day to announce his impending departure next March.

"After briefing us, he sought our opinion but all component leaders respected his decision,"

Gerakan vice-president Datuk Chang Ko Youn said, pointing out that it was not so much a discussion but a briefing.

No component leader present had anything to add or amend to Abdullah's plan to make way for his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Razak to stand for president in the March 2009 Umno elections.

People's Progressive Party president Datuk Dr. M. Kayveas said that after Abdullah had briefed them, Najib then addressed the council and told them "we have to function as one Malaysia."

As far as his party was concerned, Kayveas said "we have no problems working with anybody."

He admitted that in fact, the transition plan did not really require input from the other BN leaders as "traditionally it is a party matter for Umno to decide" and concurred that the meeting was simply to brief them on Umno's leadership plans.

The supreme council meeting had initially come about due to calls by component leaders for the matter to be brought up at a coalition meeting as the president of Umno is also by default, chairman or the ruling BN coalition and hence, prime minister.

Umno united against Pak Lah

The Malaysian Insider Commentary

For once, there was no flip, there was no flop. No flap even as Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today stuck to his widely-expected decision to not defend his Umno presidency and step down as Prime Minister next March.

There was some speculation that he might chance it and go for broke to carry out his earlier transition plan until June 2010.

That plan had been torn to pieces by the Umno Supreme council two weeks ago but the 68-year-old premier had already been a dead man walking from exactly seven months ago when the Barisan Nasional lost five states and its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority to a resurgent opposition under Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The loss exacerbated a sharpening of knives against the politician known as the "Mr Nice Guy" of Malaysian politics, led by his predecessor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and followed by Umno politicians hungry for power and position.

"I know I've not been doing well, it's time for someone else to take over," Abdullah said, bringing down the curtain on a career spanning 45 years in public service, first as a civil servant, then as a politician and ultimately as prime minister.

Widely criticised by all quarters for a laundry list of reasons - internally by Umno politicians against reforms in governance and externally for not fulfilling such promises - Abdullah has seen his approval rating zig zag between the high 70s and the low 40s, epitomising his lack-lustre leadership that earned him the sobriquet "Flip Flop".

His indecisiveness had always been based on a need for consensus, unity and harmony that was borne from helping to administer the country after the May 13 riots. "I never want to see that again," Abdullah told reporters several years ago.

He followed the same theme today, saying "I have always been guided by my conscience. I do not want a divided party and governing coalition but one that is united. This is not the time for infighting."

The electoral debacle and threats by Anwar to topple BN and capture Putrajaya took its toll on Abdullah and his ruling coalition with the tiny Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) openly saying it had no confidence in Abdullah's leadership and walked out of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition last month.

A few other parties gave notice of dissatisfaction not so much with him but with other Umno leaders for racist rants but stopped short of leaving. Abdullah feebly chastised his party which further split the party.

With that in mind and taking the blame and being blamed for the humiliating loss, Abdullah decided to quit to give both the party and coalition a fighting chance for the next polls and to prevent a split and infighting for the leadership.

What was left unsaid was that a majority of Umno supreme council members were united in getting him to go but only split about a succession plan among themselves. They had engineered meetings to convince Pak Lah he was wildly unpopular for not keeping his promises.

But the perception on the ground pointed to the party losing support even among its core Malay constituencies, apart from the Chinese and Indians, for a raft of other reasons, particularly to do with price hikes in food and fuel.

For the next six months, Abdullah will not have to worry about such perceptions. Starting today without flip-flopping about his decision to retire from active politics, he can forge ahead to carry out the reforms without thinking of the political cost within the party.

And even if that fails with a lack of support from within Umno, the man known as "Mr Nice Guy" would at least leave behind a party united - against his efforts.

Sabah BN confident Najib will continue Pak Lah's reform legacy

By Adib Zalkapli

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 – Sabah Barisan Nasional leaders believe that the reform agenda set by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi will continue to be implemented should his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Razak take over the reins of power.

"Openness is his greatest legacy," said Upko president, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, who also expressed confidence that Najib would not reverse the trend set by Abdullah.

"After the March 8 this is a new Malaysia, I don't think we can go back to the old Malaysia," he added.

"There is no way anybody can reverse this trend towards openness and I don't see Datuk Seri Najib as someone who will stand in the way of openness," said Dompok.

He said that he was touched by Abdullah's decision to brief BN component party leaders before making the announcement on his departure next March.

Parti Bersatu Sabah president, Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan, also believed that the trend towards greater openness would continue under Najib's leadership.

"Najib has given his assurance that he will continue the policy direction of Abdullah and I am very happy to be given this assurance," said Kitingan.

After the March 8 election, Sabahan leaders have been more vocal in demanding better treatment from Kuala Lumpur.

Abdullah responded by increasing financial allocation to the state and took steps to abolish the Federal Development Department, where federal funding is channeled through.

Pak Lah unites Umno – against him

by St Low

OCT 8 - For once, there was no flip, there was no flop. No flap even as Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today stuck to his widely-expected decision to not defend his Umno presidency and step down as Prime Minister next March.

There was some speculation that he might chance it and go for broke to carry out his earlier transition plan until June 2010.

That plan had been torn to pieces by the Umno Supreme council two weeks ago but the 68-year-old premier had already been a dead man walking from exactly seven months ago when the Barisan Nasional lost five states and its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority to a resurgent opposition under Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The loss exacerbated a sharpening of knives against the politician known as the "Mr Nice Guy" of Malaysian politics, led by his predecessor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and followed by Umno politicians hungry for power and position.

"I know I've not been doing well, it's time for someone else to take over," Abdullah said, bringing down the curtain on a career spanning 45 years in public service, first as a civil servant, then as a politician and ultimately as prime minister.

Widely criticised by all quarters for a laundry list of reasons - internally by Umno politicians against reforms in governance and externally for not fulfilling such promises - Abdullah has seen his approval rating zig zag between the high 70s and the low 40s, epitomising his lack-lustre leadership that earned him the sobriquet "Flip Flop".

His indecisiveness had always been based on a need for consensus, unity and harmony that was borne from helping to administer the country after the May 13 riots. "I never want to see that again," Abdullah told reporters several years ago.

He followed the same theme today, saying "I have always been guided by my conscience. I do not want a divided party and governing coalition but one that is united. This is not the time for infighting."

The electoral debacle and threats by Anwar to topple BN and capture Putrajaya took its toll on Abdullah and his ruling coalition with the tiny Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) openly saying it had no confidence in Abdullah's leadership and walked out of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition last month.

A few other parties gave notice of dissatisfaction not so much with him but with other Umno leaders for racist rants but stopped short of leaving. Abdullah feebly chastised his party which further split the party.

With that in mind and taking the blame and being blamed for the humiliating loss, Abdullah decided to quit to give both the party and coalition a fighting chance for the next polls and to prevent a split and infighting for the leadership.

What was left unsaid was that a majority of Umno supreme council members were united in getting him to go but only split about a succession plan among themselves. They had engineered meetings to convince Pak Lah he was wildly unpopular for not keeping his promises.

But the perception on the ground pointed to the party losing support even among its core Malay constituencies, apart from the Chinese and Indians, for a raft of other reasons, particularly to do with price hikes in food and fuel.

For the next six months, Abdullah will not have to worry about such perceptions. Starting today, without flip-flopping about his decision to retire from active politics, he can forge ahead to carry out the reforms without thinking of the political cost within the party.

And even if that fails because of a lack of support from within Umno, he would at least leave behind a party united - against his efforts.

- The Malaysian Insider

Pertahan jawatan Umno: Pak Lah temu pemimpin BN, umum 'pendirian misteri'

(mSTAR) Mempertahankan jawatan Presiden parti ataupun tidak?

Persoalan ini terus bermain di fikiran kebanyakan pihak termasuk di dalam dan luar negara manakala Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dijangka mengumumkan pendirian sama ada mempertahankan jawatan Presiden Umno atau sebaliknya menjelang pukul 5 petang esok.

Pagi tadi Perdana Menteri memberitahu bahawa beliau tidak akan membuat apa-apa pengumuman hari ini.

"Saya tiada pengumuman untuk hari ini," kata beliau kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan BioMalaysia 2008 di Pusat Konvensyen Kuala Lumpur di sini pagi tadi.

Di sebalik itu, pelbagai spekulasi terus muncul dengan sesetengah pihak masih yakin Abdullah akan mempertahankan jawatan beliau dalam pemilihan Mac depan.

Mereka beranggapan sedemikian dengan melihat perkembangan terkini dalam Umno dan negara.

Semalam Umno Bahagian Kuala Kedah mengumumkan bahawa pihaknya akan mencalonkan Abdullah untuk kekal sebagai Presiden parti.

Badan Perhubungan Kelantan juga mengumumkan pihaknya akan menyokong Abdullah jika beliau berhasrat untuk mempertahankan kedudukannya.

Pada Khamis lalu, bekas Timbalan Perdana Menteri dan Timbalan Presiden Umno, Tun Musa Hitam berkata, beliau percaya bahawa langkah menunda Perhimpunan Agung Tahunan dan pemilihan sehingga tahun depan merupakan petanda kemungkinan Abdullah tidak akan mempertahankan kedudukannya.

Dalam pada itu, Setiausaha Agung Barisan Nasional (BN), Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor hari ini mengesahkan Majlis Tertinggi BN akan mengadakan mesyuarat di Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra (PWTC) esok.

"Mesyuarat itu akan diadakan pada 3.30 petang esok," katanya kepada Bernama hari ini.

Semalam Perdana Menteri berkata, beliau akan mengumumkan pendiriannya sama ada hari ataupun esok.

Malah, semalam Abdullah mengesahkan yang beliau akan menemui pemimpin-pemimpin BN di ibu negara esok.

"Tunggulah dalam masa yang tak lama lagi, Saya akan buat keputusan esok atau Rabu", katanya selepas mempengerusikan Mesyuarat Panel Penasihat Antarabangsa Bioteknologi di Pusat Konvensyen Kuala Lumpur di sini semalam.

Pada 26 Oktober lalu Presiden Umno itu berkata beliau akan mengumumkan mengenai keputusannya untuk mempertahankan jawatannya itu sebelum 9 Oktober iaitu sebelum bermulanya persidangan peringkat bahagian.

Pada 1 Oktober lalu, Perdana Menteri berkata beliau akan memberi penjelasan kepada ketua parti komponen BN mengenai pelan peralihan kuasa antara beliau dan timbalannya, Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak.

http://mt.m2day.org

Anwar's in, Pak Lah's out

ANALYSIS

AUG 27 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's stunning win at the Permatang Pauh by-election not only cemented his position as the undisputed leader of the opposition in Malaysia, it prompted senior Umno politicians to begin the countdown to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's last day in office.

The majority view is that he has to go by the end of the year if Umno and BN are to stand any chance of checking the advance of Pakatan Rakyat and holding onto to power at the next general elections.

Tuesday night was a repeat of March 8 with Pakatan Rakyat giddy with an electoral success and BN politicians dizzy with another rejection by the public.

But the joy was sweeter for the opposition because their icon not only won but did so in style, trouncing BN's Arif Shah by a 15,671 majority, 2,000 more votes than what his wife obtained five months ago.

The pain was more severe for BN because unlike March 8, they were not caught blind-sided. They poured in millions of ringgit into the campaign, brought their heavy hitters, threw every conceivable missile at Anwar but still ended up losing badly.

The consequences of the Permatang Pauh by-election could be far-reaching, with even Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's neatly-packaged two-year transition of power under threat from increasingly disillusioned party members and leaders of coalition partners.

On Tuesday, only two hours after the last box of votes had been counted, senior Umno politicians were in deep discussion over the need for Abdullah to step down, believing that he had lost the ability to check a resurgent opposition.

A check of the voting pattern at 25 polling stations showed that Anwar snared a handy portion of Malays votes and the bulk of non-Malay votes.

Even the Siamese electorate – a traditional bank of BN support – gave their vote to Anwar.

Najib put on a brave face, saying that Anwar's victory proved that democracy was alive in Malaysia. Left unsaid was that the BN defeat showed that not much had changed on the ground since March 8. Despite the raft of promises by Abdullah to reform the system, the public was not moved.

If anything, Permatang Pauh confirmed that Chinese and Indians no longer fear giving their support to the Opposition.

It also confirmed that the umbilical cord between the Malaysian voter and the Barisan Nasional has been severed.

BN politicians have compiled a list of excuses for the heavy defeat, saying that Permatang Pauh has always been Anwar's fortress; that the campaign was pockmarked with allegations and innuendoes and that the electorate was in no mood to support the establishment because of the rising cost of living.

But they all sounded like excuses and could not obscure the fact that BN suffered its heaviest by-election defeat in recent memory.

Never has BN been in a deeper hole. Never has Abdullah Ahmad Badawi faced such a bleak picture.

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com.my

Anwar jadi 'pak turut' DAP

Tembelang dan sikap sebenar calon Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Datuk Seri Anwar terus didedahkan kerana semakin jelas beliau sanggup berbuat apa sahaja untuk menjadi Perdana Menteri yang diwar-warkannya akan jadi kenyataan 16 September depan.

Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak hari Ahad berkata, Anwar kini sanggup diperalatkan oleh DAP semata-mata mahu mencapai impiannya.

Sedangkan semasa berada di dalam UMNO dan kerajaan, Anwar adalah antara orang yang kuat menentang DAP tetapi kini sanggup bersekongkol pula.

"Anwar sudah sanggup menjadi alat kepada DAP, banyak yang dia cakap sudah selaras dan selari dengan apa yang dituntut oleh DAP. Tapi hari ini kerana nak jadi Perdana Menteri, dia sanggup bersekongkol dengan DAP dalam semua pendirian walaupun ia tidak boleh kerana boleh memberi kesan kepada politik tanah air," katanya.

Najib berkata demikian kepada para pemberita selepas meluangkan masa kira-kira setengah jam mengunjung peniaga dan pembelia di Medan Selera dan Pasar Seberang Jaya.

Najib turut ditanya mengenai kempen pembentukan kerajaan baru oleh Anwar pada 16 September depan dengan kemungkinan Ahli Parlimen Barisan Nasional (BN) melompat parti, ini jawapannya:

"Perkara itu satu igauan, tidak akan berlaku. Insya-Allah tidak akan berlaku." - 24/08/2008

Anwar jadi 'pak turut' DAP

Tembelang dan sikap sebenar calon Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Datuk Seri Anwar terus didedahkan kerana semakin jelas beliau sanggup berbuat apa sahaja untuk menjadi Perdana Menteri yang diwar-warkannya akan jadi kenyataan 16 September depan.

Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak hari Ahad berkata, Anwar kini sanggup diperalatkan oleh DAP semata-mata mahu mencapai impiannya.

Sedangkan semasa berada di dalam UMNO dan kerajaan, Anwar adalah antara orang yang kuat menentang DAP tetapi kini sanggup bersekongkol pula.

"Anwar sudah sanggup menjadi alat kepada DAP, banyak yang dia cakap sudah selaras dan selari dengan apa yang dituntut oleh DAP. Tapi hari ini kerana nak jadi Perdana Menteri, dia sanggup bersekongkol dengan DAP dalam semua pendirian walaupun ia tidak boleh kerana boleh memberi kesan kepada politik tanah air," katanya.

Najib berkata demikian kepada para pemberita selepas meluangkan masa kira-kira setengah jam mengunjung peniaga dan pembelia di Medan Selera dan Pasar Seberang Jaya.

Najib turut ditanya mengenai kempen pembentukan kerajaan baru oleh Anwar pada 16 September depan dengan kemungkinan Ahli Parlimen Barisan Nasional (BN) melompat parti, ini jawapannya:

"Perkara itu satu igauan, tidak akan berlaku. Insya-Allah tidak akan berlaku." - 24/08/2008

Between Gus Dur and Pak Sheikh

When former Indonesian President, Abdul Rahman Wahid, Gus Dur came forward in full support for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, last Monday, one cannot escape from comparing the two leaders.

Both were once respected by the people and seen as Islamic leaders. They spotted pious image; and at last both were expelled from their respective posts due to allegations of corrupt, misused of power and sexual misconduct.

Anwar and Gus Dur were respected and were once proclaimed as the new modern-Islamic leaders. However, the two leaders fell from grace due to the same or almost the same reasons.

When Anwar joined UMNO 1982, he shocked the whole nation and his supporters as he was expected to join PAS, the fundamentalist Islamic party.

After joining UMNO he moved up the political ranks in an extremely fast paced, from the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports in 1983 and 10 years later as the Minister of Finance.

The post paved his way to becoming UMNO deputy president and deputy prime minister. However, as fast as he moved up the rank his fall from grace was even quicker.

It first started when a former journalist came out with a book on him which alleged him as him involved in sexual misconduct. This created his fall out with his former mentor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and led top his expulsion from the party.

From 1998 until present, Anwar has not been able to recuperate from the allegations.

On July 28, another former aide came forward and accused the ex-rising star of sodomising him which had further stained his already ruined reputation.

Gus Dur meanwhile; was elected as the president of Indonesia in 1999. However he only managed to hold the post for only two years.

As the Indonesian constitution is extremely vague on “impeachment”, he was accused of incompetence and erratic rule.

Later there were several other accusations including sexual misconducts which have yet to be proven.

Comparing Anwar and Gus Dur, the later is luckier.

Anwar on the other hand, was jailed and is still trying to clear his name. The Permatang Pauh by-election is one of his methods, to do away with the latest accusations.

As many as those who still put their trusts and the future of this country in the hand of this self-proclaimed “Prime-Minister-in-Waiting”, there are still who questioned his credibility.

As said by a friend; Anwar should live on and move forward. Why fight a losing battle as he should lead a quiet private life and enjoy his time with his family.

“The more he fight, more flaws will be revealed. Leave politics as it is clear that his time is over,” he said, adding that “Pak Sheikh your time has ended.”

Mufti Perlis tegur Pak Lah letak kalungan bunga Tugu Peringatan

PETALING JAYA: Perbuatan bertafakur, meletakkan kalungan bunga atau tabik hormat yang dilakukan untuk Tugu Negara adalah bercanggah dengan prinsip-prinsip akidah Islam yang anti kepada sebarang unsur keberhalaan.

Mufti Perlis, Dr Asri Zainul Abidin membuat kenyataan ini ketika mengulas tentang istiadat meletak kalungan bunga di Tugu Peringatan Negara sempena sambutan Hari Pahlawan semalam yang dilakukan oleh Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Abdullah memulakan upacara meletakkan kalungan bunga itu, diikuti Panglima Angkatan Tentera, Jeneral Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Zainal; Ketua Polis Negara, Tan Sri Musa Hassan; Panglima Tentera Darat, Jeneral Tan Sri Muhammad Ismail Jamaluddin; Panglima Tentera Laut, Laksamana Datuk Abdul Aziz Jaafar dan Panglima Tentera Udara, Jeneral Tan Sri Azizan Ariffin.

Terdahulu, Abdullah menerima tabik hormat dan memeriksa kawalan penghormatan membabitkan 103 anggota dan pegawai Askar Melayu Diraja.

“Perbuatan mana-mana individu muslim sama ada pemimpin atau rakyat yang meletakkan kalungan bunga, tabik hormat dan bertafakur yang dilakukan untuk Tugu Negara adalah bercanggah dengan prinsip-prinsip akidah Islam yang anti kepada sebarang unsur keberhalaan," jelas Dr Asri.

Kata beliau lagi, perbuatan seperti itu seakan menjadikan tugu berkenaan berhala yang dihormati.

"Sekiranya pun pelakunya tidak mempunyai sebarang iktikad bahawa itu semua memberi manfaat dan mudarat, maka perbuatan itu adalah sia-sia dan bodoh. Ia tetap haram kerana meniru perbuatan musyrikin," jelas Dr Asri.

Menurut Dr Asri, jika pelaku beriktikad itu memberikan kemanfaatan kepada keamanan, kedamaian ruh mereka yang telah meninggal dunia, maka itu adalah perbuatan syirik yang jelas.

"Akidah Islam menentang sebarang unsur keberhalaan. Pemimpin atau sesiapa sahaja yang terlibat dalam perbuatan ini hendaklah bertaubat kepada Allah dan kembali kepada akidah Islam yang sebenar," katanya.

Firman Allah: (maksudnya) “Dan demi sesungguhnya, Kami telah memberi kepada Ibrahim sebelum itu jalan yang benar (dalam bertauhid), dan Kami mengetahui akan halnya. Ketika dia berkata kepada bapanya dan kaumnya: “Apakah patung-patung ini yang kamu berdiri di hadapannya (memujanya)? Mereka menjawab: “Kami dapati datuk nenek kami selalu menyembahnya. Ibrahim berkata: “Sesungguhnya kamu dan datuk-nenek kamu adalah dalam kesesatan yang nyata”. (Surah al-Anbiya 50-54)”

Perbuatan menyempurnakan istiadat meletak kalungan bunga di Tugu Peringatan Negara ini juga difahamkan melanggar Fatwa Mufti (Edisi 2008).

Di bawah SubSeksyen 36(1) Enakmen Pentadbiran Undang-Undang Islam 1991 setelah diluluskan oleh Jawatankuasa Perundingan Hukum Syarak mengikut SubSeksyen 39(6) Enakmen menyatakan, " Meletakkan kalungan bunga di Tugu Negara sempena upacara sambutan Hari Pahlawan dan upacara-upacara lain adalah haram dan hendaklah ditinggalkan"