GOOD BYE PAK LAH

AT LAST

1. Pak Lah is at last gone. It was a relief to everyone, public and private, except for those few who benefitted directly, generously and greatly, from his reign.

2. People like Kalimullah Hasan and Patrick Lim Badawi were two of them

3. UMNO and BN had suffered a lot during Pak Lah's wanting leadership. After a massive victory in PRU 11 it was followed by a pathetic win in PRU 12. The logic is that if Pak Lah waits till 2013 the current opposition in the house of parliament will change places with the BN.

4. That explains all the praises that Pak Lah gets from the opposition. In fact they would like him to stay on so that he can hand over the Federal Government after PRU 13.

5. It is certainly difficult to portray Pak Lah as a departing hero after a miserable performance in the government. For those who are far away from the centre it might be easy to whitewash Pak Lah by such gestures as giving a doctorate from the International Islamic University and thereby, giving the impression of getting an endorsement for his Islam Hadhari. After all this version of Islam was rejected by the Muslim World but praised by George W. Bush, Tony Blair and visiting leaders of non Muslim countries. Only so-called Muslim scholars who were given VIP treatments on their visits to Malaysia were reluctantly and embarrasingly willing to endorse Pak Lah's Islam.

6. Further whitewashing is done by conferring a Tunship. But those who knows know that he does not deserve it. To some Jeane deserves the Tunship for without her comfort Pak Lah would not have found it easier for him to leave the office of the Prime Minister.

7. Pak Lah's departure from the office of the Prime Minister cannot be remembered as him having transfered his power to Dato' Seri Najib. Transfer is when you have the power and give it away. In this case Pak Lah knew that if Tengku Razaleigh had stood against him for the post of the President of UMNO, with Tun Mahathir's backing Tengku Razaleigh would have made it. It was after Tun Mahathir called a meeting with Tengku Razaleigh at Tun's Cyberjaya home that Pak Lah announced his withdrawal from the recent contest.

8. In fact Pak Lah now has the misfortune of having a Prime Minister which he did not want to have as his deputy when he first succeeded Tun Mahathir; Pak Lah also has Tan Sri Mahyuddin Yassin, which he did not endorse, as Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister.

9. Dato' Seri Utama Ali Rastam was Pak Lah's candidate against Tan Sri Mahyuddin just as Tan Sri Muhammad Mohd Taib was Pak Lah's stand-by candidate against Tan Sri Mahyuddin in case something happens to Ali. Something did happen and Tan Sri Muhammad did fight and lost against Tan Sri Mahyuddin.

10. All the huggings, the praises and compliments either watched through TVs, the Tube or read from the printed media should not confuse the historical facts. Even Tun Mahathir was hugged by Pak Lah though everyone could see that Tun Mahathir was avoiding a more intimate hug by Pak Lah.

11. Is UMNO and BN fully recoverred? No. They lost in Bukit Selambau and Bukit Gantang. The two Indians ( from BN and PKR ) in Bukit Selambau were equal. The BN candidate was defeated by the presence of Dato' Seri Samy Vellu and the Ex-Menteri Besar of Kedah with his girl-friend the present Deputy Head of Putri UMNO. Khairy Jamaluddin was also there to spoil the show. The voters did not allow them the chance to claim, with BN victory, that they are vindicated from all their sins. Even Tun Dr. Mahathir could not help to carry such massive burden of liabilities.

12. As to Bukit Gantang it was not PAS that won. It was the perssonal victory of their candidate who is not a typical PAS man. With a Chinese mother, the candidate, who could speak Chinese, has a record of giving land for 999 years. Only an ignorant or misinformed Chinese will not vote for him. This sort of gift, in land, is not even heard of in China. All land in Malaysia will now be on offer for 999 years if PAS takes over the country. Why not take the bet? Forget about inter-racial harmony between the races. The army and the police can look after that.

13. The departure of Pak Lah is not the end of him. Pak Lah was blamed for being influenced by so called KJ. Now that KJ need not influence Pak Lah anymore is it not reason enough to say that Pak Lah is a good man again. Of course, the only thing about Pak Lah was that he had KJ when he was the Prime Minister.

14. Though Pak Lah is out of the UMNO leadership now, but the reason, KJ, for his fall is still within. KJ is reported to have met Ali Rastam in the latter's office in Melaka recently. Surely they were not praising Dato' Seri Najib or Tan Sri Mahyuddin.

15. Certainly not Tun Dr. Mahathir or Tan Sri Sanusi either.

16. They might be discussing their future. Now that Ali has to leave the 4B youth movement by virtue of his age, would it be possible for Ali to offer KJ the youth leadership. If that is the case it would be a repeat of the UMNO Youth ( under Dato' Harun ) partnership with the 4B youth movement ( headed by Dato' Harun's nephew Dato' Haji Shuhaimi Kamaruddin ).

17. That was a potent force against Tun Abdul Razak. Would the same forces ( UMNO Youth + 4B ) be playing the same role against Tun Razak's son?

18. It must be remembered that KJ was convicted by the UMNO Disciplinary Committee for playing money politics. But he was allowed to contest. By the law of reward and punishment KJ will of course continue to corrupt delegates.

19. He won.

20.. This means that UMNO Youth condone money politics. Normally it is the youth in which people invest their hopes. As it is the UMNO Youth has proven to be corruptable. They have chosen a leader who is proven to be corrupt.

21. Dato' Seri Najib and Tan Sri Mahyuddin have a tough hill to climb.