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Malaysian ruling party in crisis as Mahathir urges supporters to rebel
Former Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohammad urged his supporters on Tuesday to openly rebel against the prime minister after massive losses in general elections plunged the ruling party into its worst crisis.
- AP
- Published: 20:26 April 1, 2008
Kuala Lumpur: Former Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohammad urged his supporters on Tuesday to openly rebel against the prime minister after massive losses in general elections plunged the ruling party into its worst crisis.
About 2,000 members of the United Malays National Organisation party gathered to hear Mahathir speak at a hotel conference hall in the biggest display of defiance so far against the party's leader, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
The meeting's agenda was to analyse the unprecedented losses suffered by Abdullah's National Front ruling coalition in March 8 general elections. But it turned into a free-for-all session to bitterly criticise the 68-year-old prime minister, who is watching his grip on power weaken despite insisting he has the full support of his party.
"I call on him to resign. Anyone else would have done so already, but he is shameless," Mahathir said. "If he waits until the party is totally destroyed, it would be useless."
Mahathir accused Abdullah of failing to curb unbridled corruption, nepotism and cronyism.
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