I'm yet to own the 620pages book - Awakening, the Abdullah Badawi years in Malaysia.
It must be interesting to read the 'untold' stories about Tun Mahathir from his very own hand-picked successor, Tun Abdullah who is also popularly regarded 'Mr Clean'.
This book is expected to further deteriorate the Abdullah-Mahathir relations as what is critical of the latter will certainly be taken up with enthusiasm by the public.
Here I confess - if only I am good in my writing, I would have written a book about Mahathir when he was still the prime minister and for certain my book will not earn me any title nor position, simply because -he is never my idol and I am not at all impressed with his style of administering my country.
The book on Abdullah could also be a subject of speculation in view of the approaching party (Umno) elections. His son-in law Khairy is the incumbent Youth wing chief and Mahathir-Abdullah relations begin to go sour following Mahathir's displeasure and criticism on Khairy & his adviser known as the 'fourth-floor-boys'.
In the interview, Abdullah issued a harsh statement portraying his predecessor Mahathir as 'hard-headed and full of contradictions'.
Spontaneously, the 'hard-headed' reminded me that Mahathir was once regarded a 'recalcitrant' by Australian politician but what surprised me more was Abdullah's revelations that if he was to follow Mahathir's will on mega projects, the country may have gone bankrupt.
Abdullah added, he doesn't like what Mahathir does but gave him the opportunity to pour his views. Abdullah said he met him but Mahathir chose to 'attack him and his administration openly.
In all 22 years of his tenure as Malaysian prime minister, 3 deputies (Deputy Prime Ministers) don't stay as long as he has stayed as prime minister.
When Mahathir took succession from Tun Hussein Onn, he declared the election of Umno deputy president open. Tun Musa defeated Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and subsequently became Umno deputy president and deputy prime minister.
Musa, who was then having a growing rift with Mahathir, resigned as Deputy Prime Minister, citing irreconcilable differences with Mahathir to join Razaleigh's Team B as Umno deputy president candidate.
Its disappointing that the once much talked about pair of Mahathir-Musa doesn't last.
When Musa Hitam resigned, Mahathir appointed Tun Gafar Baba as deputy prime minister in 1986.
However on October 1993 Umno party election, Gafar was challenged by Anwar Ibrahim. Being a candidate of Mahathir's 'choice' (Mahathir hand-picked and groomed Anwar to succeed him), Anwar defeated Gafar for post of Umno deputy president and subsequently lost the deputy premiership.
Anwar succeeded Gafar to become Mahathir's Deputy Prime Minister in 1993.
In 1997, Anwar was even appointed acting Prime Minister when Mahathir went for a 2-month holiday.
However, Anwar's 'son-father' relationship with Mahathir begun to deteriorate triggered by their conflicting views on governance.His attack on nepotism and cronyism within Umno and the ruling coalition angered Mahathir.
Anwar was sacked from Umno and Deputy Prime Minister and subsequently charged with corruption for allegedly interfering with police investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct made against him.
Now that Abdullah revealed his side of the story, I can't help assuming should Mahathir is still the prime minister of Malaysia now, at least 1 or 2 more deputy prime ministers had to go?
I think it's worth to have a copy of Awakening, the Abdullah Badawi years in Malaysia.
My Quote-
"When 1 person tells me that A is wrong, I will give A my benefit of the doubt, but when too many said the same of A, there's ground for me to believe"
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