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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s influential former premier Mahathir
Mohamad urged disgruntled ruling party lawmakers not to defect to
the opposition to oust the embattled prime minister, but to become
independents.
In a de facto master plan for toppling Prime
Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi without losing power, Mahathir said
becoming independent lawmakers meant they could avoid opposition
figurehead Anwar Ibrahim having a shot at the job.
Abdullah has come under intense pressure to step
down since a humiliating setback for his United Malays National
Organization (UMNO)-led coalition in March 8 general elections.
A three-party opposition alliance, unofficially
led by 60-year-old Anwar, seized control of five states and a third
of parliamentary seats.
Abdullah, however, insists he still has a
mandate and will only discuss a transition of power to his deputy
Najib Razak after party polls in December.
Mahathir urged UMNO lawmakers not to join
opposition ranks in order to push Abdullah out but to become
independent candidates instead.
“Say 35 of them come out [of UMNO], the
government will collapse, the prime minister will have to resign and
if Anwar tries to become the PM you don’t give your votes to
him,” Mahathir said.
“If say Najib, if he has the guts, decides to
step in and be the candidate for prime ministership, you can then
give your 35 votes to him and he becomes the PM, no loss to anyone,
except to Abdullah.”
Mahathir, an 82-year-old veteran who resigned
from UMNO two weeks ago, said he would not rejoin the party until
Abdullah stepped down as party president and premier.
-- AFP
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