Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has extended embattled MCA chief and Transport Minister Dr Ling Liong Sik's political life by another nine months as there will be no cabinet reshuffle before he steps down in October, said DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang today.

"By passing the buck to (Mahathir's successor Deputy Prime Minister) Abdullah (Ahmad Badawi), he (Mahathir) has given the MCA president a nine-month reprieve," he said in a press statement.

The veteran politician added that Mahathir also handed the "hot potato" of Ling's political future to his successor although Abdullah would have wished for the premier to take the MCA president with him when he leaves later this year.

Yesterday, the premier said it would be up to his deputy to decide o­n the cabinet when he comes to power.

He also stressed that he was not asking others to resign with him. "There is no need for anyone to jump into the sea with me. Let me jump into the sea myself," he said..

Wrongdoings

Ling, who is facing a leadership crisis within MCA, had his troubles compounded with the return of his former political protege Soh Chee Wen.

The o­ne-time corporate bigwig, who fled abroad in 1999 to evade arrest for a defrauding charge, came back to Malaysia last May and has since accused Ling of various wrongdoings ranging from corruption to deceit.

Last month, Soh claimed the minister had abused his ministerial post to build a business empire through his eldest son Hee Leong.

The businessman also filed a writ of summon against Linksun Avenue Sdn Bhd (owned by Hee Leong) and Ling to recover the alleged RM149.2 million (plus interest and other cost) he lent to the company to secure a business deal.

Ling has denied having any business ties with Soh - who has since been charged for defrauding a now-defunct stockbroking firm and set o­n bail - leading the latter to brand the MCA president a "liar".

An Austrian businessman had also recently filed a police report in Kuala Lumpur against Ling, his son and Soh, claiming the trio owed him RM100 million when their business deal fell through in 1997.

Early last month, Ling revealed that he had tendered his resignation as transport minister to the premier last August but had yet to receive a reply.

Mahathir said later that he had not decided o­n the matter.

Cabinet deadwoods

Meanwhile, Lim said Mahathir's backing down from his earlier statement that cabinet ministers should be prepared to resign when Abdullah takes over meant it had evoked strong resistance from his ministers.

"Although Mahathir said there is no practice in Malaysia that a cabinet should also by convention be dissolved when the chief executive steps down, the pertinent issue is what should be the proper constitutional practice stemming from Article 43 of the Malaysian Constitution o­n the appointments of the prime minister and the cabinet," said the DAP leader.

According to Lim, there could o­nly be o­ne explanation as to why the premier's statement had caused disquiet among his cabinet members.

"Many cabinet members know that they have long passed their shelf-life of usefulness of being able to continue to make sterling contribution to the development and well-being of the people and country.

"Only deadwoods in the cabinet could conceivably oppose the proper and constitutional notion and practice that when the prime minister resigns or dies, his entire cabinet resigns automatically, as they have no confidence of re-appointment o­n pure merit and past performance," he said.