Dr M 'missing' in winding-up speech
Bede HongPublished: Nov 17, 2006 8:33 PM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi avoided any mention about his predecessor Dr Mahathir Mohamad during his winding-up speech at the Umno general assembly in Kuala Lumpur this evening.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi avoided any mention about his predecessor Dr Mahathir Mohamad during his winding-up speech at the Umno general assembly in Kuala Lumpur this evening.
Many had expected the soft-spoken Umno president to at least fire a few veiled salvos at Mahathir, who has launched a series of attacks against his handpicked successor.
However, Abdullah, who took over the reigns in 2003, steered clear of the topic during his 90-minute speech.
Mahathir did not attend the assembly after suffering from a mild heart attack last week. In his opening speech, the premier wished his former boss a speedy recovery but made no mention of their ongoing feud.
Meanwhile, Abdullah also skipped another topic in his closing speech, which was his battle-cry when taking office, weeding out corruption.
He also avoided any references to the criticism by Mahathir's son Mukhriz - who is an Umno Youth exco member - that the current administration was merely dishing out rhetoric on battling corruption.
Abdullah instead took a moderate stand, which saw him urging Umno members to be more considerate towards their Barisan Nasional (BN) counterparts and defending affirmative action policies.
He said although the New Economic Policy (NEP) no longer existed, its spirit is present in the government's two-prong approach to alleviate poverty and create equal opportunity for all races.
Decisions by consensus
"One of the messages I want to stress is that poverty needs to be eradicated, because poverty is detrimental to the country," he said in his speech that was telecast live nationwide.
"If you can do that you can ensure harmony between the races," he added.
He said the government aims to eradicate poverty by 2010 but did not mention whether affirmative action-based policies would be removed.
"Umno carries a heavy burden that gets heavier with time. As the majority party within BN, our responsibilities are the heaviest.
"It is important to remind ourselves of the significance of our position in the political area...The most important thing to remember is to be fair to all. It is something that everyone seeks and it is something we need to deliver," he said.
To ensure the preservation of stability in the country, Abdullah said it is important to practice tolerance.
"And for the issues that touch on race, decisions made, whether in the Umno supreme council or the cabinet, are by consensus.
"It is not that the Malays are the only ones making the decisions. It is done together with the non-Malays," he added.
Abdullah also said there is no other alternative other than BN to govern the country.
"No one group or race can hope to win the next election. The only way to administrate the country successfully is through cooperation between the races and only BN can achieve this," he added.
Many had expected the soft-spoken Umno president to at least fire a few veiled salvos at Mahathir, who has launched a series of attacks against his handpicked successor. However, Abdullah, who took over the reigns in 2003, steered clear of the topic during his 90-minute speech.
Mahathir did not attend the assembly after suffering from a mild heart attack last week. In his opening speech, the premier wished his former boss a speedy recovery but made no mention of their ongoing feud.
Meanwhile, Abdullah also skipped another topic in his closing speech, which was his battle-cry when taking office, weeding out corruption.
He also avoided any references to the criticism by Mahathir's son Mukhriz - who is an Umno Youth exco member - that the current administration was merely dishing out rhetoric on battling corruption.
Abdullah instead took a moderate stand, which saw him urging Umno members to be more considerate towards their Barisan Nasional (BN) counterparts and defending affirmative action policies.
He said although the New Economic Policy (NEP) no longer existed, its spirit is present in the government's two-prong approach to alleviate poverty and create equal opportunity for all races.
Decisions by consensus
"One of the messages I want to stress is that poverty needs to be eradicated, because poverty is detrimental to the country," he said in his speech that was telecast live nationwide.
"If you can do that you can ensure harmony between the races," he added.
He said the government aims to eradicate poverty by 2010 but did not mention whether affirmative action-based policies would be removed. "Umno carries a heavy burden that gets heavier with time. As the majority party within BN, our responsibilities are the heaviest.
"It is important to remind ourselves of the significance of our position in the political area...The most important thing to remember is to be fair to all. It is something that everyone seeks and it is something we need to deliver," he said.
To ensure the preservation of stability in the country, Abdullah said it is important to practice tolerance.
"And for the issues that touch on race, decisions made, whether in the Umno supreme council or the cabinet, are by consensus.
"It is not that the Malays are the only ones making the decisions. It is done together with the non-Malays," he added.
Abdullah also said there is no other alternative other than BN to govern the country.
"No one group or race can hope to win the next election. The only way to administrate the country successfully is through cooperation between the races and only BN can achieve this," he added.
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