Dr M was said to have told some people close to him that the meeting was "useful" in as far as it gave him the opportunity to raise the issues directly with Abdullah. The PM did not respond to many of the issues raised, said Dr M.
What does that mean? I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Updated 23/10 - Kamaluddin's Blog published the full transcript of Dr M's press conference after the meeting. The transcript is courtesy of The Star.
RTM1 & Astro will broadcast The Meeting live! Sms to 36600 to vote rotitelur or rotikosong & stand a chance to win a trip to Perth.
ReplyDeletePM YDP Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told Tun Dr Mahathir that his actions and words made both of them very unpopular, BUT on the otherhand, made Anwar Ibrahim AC/DC and Nik Aziz more popular than they were before.
ReplyDeleteTun Dr Mahathir said he had articulated what he wanted to say, during the 4 eye meet and also said PM YDP Abdullah made very little response and reciprocity to ALL the issues that was raised.
PM YDP Abdullah also DID NOT agree when Tun Dr Mahathir said during the former's tenure, Malaysia had turned into a "Police State"
It seems PM YDP Abdullah is on the defensive mode.
Should we expect what we usually expect from an insecure, weak man????
I vote roti bawang. Roti telur not available because telur sudah habis!
ReplyDeleteWe'll wait to see what kind of a roti will be served and if teh tarik is included!
From akadirjasin.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteSunday, October 22, 2006
Reaksi Awal Tun M
A Kadir Jasin
LAPORAN awal memetik bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, sebagai berkata beliau akan terus mengkritik Kerajaan.
Dr Mahathir memberitahu wartawan selepas menemui Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi selama lebih dua jam di Seri Perdana petang ini bahawa beliau “tidak boleh mengatakan beliau gembira dengan hasil pertemuan itu.”
Bagaimanapun beliau berkata beliau berpuas hati kerana dapat menyampaikan terus kepada Perdana Menteri apa yang terbuku di hati beliau kerana sebelum ini ada orang yang menuduh beliau tidak menyampaikan perasaannya terus kepada Abdullah.
Sumber-sumber yang rapat dengan bekas Perdana Menteri berkata beliau memberitahu wartawan yang Abdullah berkata populariti beliau (Dr Mahathir ) merosot sejak dia mula mengkritik Kerajaan.
Dr Mahathir memberitahu wartawan bahawa populariti Abdullah juga merosot akibat kritikannya.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- Former Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad said Sunday he will not stop attacking the administration of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, dashing hopes of an early end to a their bitter political row.
ReplyDelete"I will continue to criticize if I find that something is done that does not benefit the country," Mahathir told a select group of reporters after an unprecedented, closed-door meeting with Abdullah that many had hoped would be the first step toward a rapprochement.
"If I find something is wrong, I will reserve my right to speak out," Mahathir said in the interview at his home after the two-hour meeting with Abdullah, his hand-picked successor.
It was the first face-to-face, closed-door encounter between the two men since Mahathir went on the warpath about a year ago in an apparent attempt to unseat Abdullah. Mahathir, 82, accuses Abdullah of corruption, favoritism, mismanagement and shaming the country.
But critics say Mahathir is upset because Abdullah has reversed many of the policies of the former prime minister, including putting on hold several costly infrastructure projects such as a bridge to Singapore.
"I did not ask for any assurances. I was not there to argue, but only to explain," Mahathir said. Abdullah jotted down notes, and then responded for about 20 minutes, Mahathir said, indicating he was not satisfied with the responses.
"I can't say that I'm happy," Mahathir said. "I'm satisfied I was able to say these things directly to him. People have been saying I say these things from the outside but now I've said it directly to him."
Abdullah's office did not immediately respond to Mahathir's comments or provide its version of the meeting.
The meeting had raised hopes that Mahathir would end his bitter, and sometimes personal, tirade against the prime minister before the ruling United Malays National Organization's annual meeting next month.
His frequent attacks, to which Abdullah has responded largely with silence, have dominated Malaysia's political landscape all year, and sparked concern it would split the UMNO because of Mahathir's clout in the party.
But Abdullah's Cabinet, which includes a slew of Mahathir appointees, has stood firmly behind him.
Mahathir said the meeting gave him the chance to pour out "everything in his heart." He said he told Abdullah he was not pleased with attempts to silence him from speaking publicly against the government.
This, he said, was tantamount to Malaysia turning into a "police state," a charge that he had often faced himself during his 22 years in office.
Mahathir has repeatedly accused Abdullah of compromising the country's sovereignty by scrapping the billion-dollar bridge project linking southern Johor state and neighboring Singapore, and failing to protect national carmaker Proton from foreign imports.
The elder statesman has also levied charges of nepotism against Abdullah, alleging he favored his son and son-in-law by giving them and their friends lucrative government contracts.
Abdullah denies those charges, and denied it again Sunday, Mahathir said.
Dressed in a blue-checked shirt, Mahathir left Abdullah's official residence, where the meeting was held, in a black Mercedes via a private entrance, and offered a smile to waiting reporters who had staked out the meeting venue.
He described the atmosphere at the talks as cordial, but indicated that he is not interested in another meeting.
The meeting was held at PM AAB's residence. That is not a neutral ground for a meeting between two contending people. Mahathir was actually paying a visit to the PM either as a guest, or as a messenger. As a guest, Mahathir cannot bad mouth the host, as a messenger, he can carry away only the responses given. Obviously AAB is seen not to be taking instructions from Mahathir, unlike in Japan when AAB went to see his boss.
ReplyDeleteThe meeting has no effect on the people because it is a spat between two persons, though the issues concerned the people but the solutions do not. Even AAB gives in to Mahathir's demand, the people pay the price with Mahathir keeping the payments. On the other hand when AAB rejects the demands, the people still pay the price, though Mahathir does not keep the payments. On both counts, the people pay the price. So the peace talk has no benefits accrued to the people. It would be better if there is a mutual destruction. Let others run the show
from the transcript,
ReplyDeleteQ: How did the Prime Minister react when you said you would continue criticising?
A: He didn’t say anything.
Q: Did you get the replies to the issues you raised?
A: Not all.
What was Pak Lah's strategy?
a. No official responses, no commitments
b. Pak Lah was practising his elegant silence
c. No Level 4 to advise him, no idea what is going on
d. Meeting was buggerd, but earpiece feed from Level 4 to PakLah's ear not working. Hence, no response
e. DrM asyik-asyik cakap, tak sedar Pak Lah sudah tertidur.
Take your pick.
BigGuyDotCom said...
ReplyDeletePM YDP Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told Tun Dr Mahathir that his actions and words made both of them very unpopular, BUT on the otherhand, made Anwar Ibrahim AC/DC and Nik Aziz more popular than they were before.
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All Pak Lah is concerned abt is his & TDM's popularity (as tho it matters to DR M) when there are bigger issues at hand which he didnt/couldnt respond to.
I suspect Pak Lah will get back to KJ and the 4th floor boys for consultation to find the best way to "spin" & present his side of wht transpired in the meeting to make TDM look bad.
Just wait & see.
Jay
During the P.Conference by TDM, he was asked the following question.
ReplyDeleteQ: Did you get the replies to the issues you raised?
Dr M: Not all. He mentioned his son's and son-in-law’s involvement and he said it is not right – that this accusation that they ring up people and all that, that is not true. But he wants to find out from them whether they did or not.
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And what does Pak lah expect them (Kamaluddin & Khairy) to do or say?
Own up and admit that all those allegations are true?
rocky bru: The PM did not respond to many of the issues raised, said Dr M. What does that mean?
ReplyDeleteIt means that Abdullah never meant to give any answers even if he had them. It was all a PR exercise, probably at the behest of his image-handlers, to make him look less cowardly. That's why he wanted a mano-a-mano with NO WITNESS.
Probably timed it before Ramadhan is over, just before Eid, in the hope it would temper DR M. What a manipulative cowardly hypocrite!
anakhujanbatu
As I commented previously in akadirjasin.blogspot.com (which was not published) that the meeting is a waste of time. No need.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I have read of the outcome of the meeting, I still stick to the same conclusion. Pak Lah has made up his mind and Tun M has made up his mind.
They are no more in collaborating, accomodating, or compromising modes of conflict resolution (Pak Lah has always been at avoiding mode) but now at competing mode. One will have to lose and one will have to win.
Bro bru
ReplyDeleteDo you think our Prime Minister will call a press conference to give his version of what transpired between him & TDM?
Or will he maintain his Elegant Silence (that's how his mentor, Tun Musang, oops I mean Musa describes his bisuness...what a joke!)?
Or is he waiting for his son-in-law, KJ & the 4th floor boys, to cook up something and the NST spinmasters (Kali & Brendann) to present his case?
Now we know why Pak Lah has so far maintained his elegant silence.
ReplyDeleteGot the info below from kmunet.
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Fazilogic said...
Dalam sidang akhbar berkenaan, Tun Dr Mahathir memberitahu bahawa walaupun tidak ada saksi dalam pertemuan berkenaan, Tun ada membawa pita rakaman dan diletakkan secara terbuka sepanjang pertemuan.
Kenyataan Tun tersebut disebutkan dalam Bahagian 1 (http://malaysia-today.net/blog2006/videos.php?itemid=271) drpd dua Bahagian video di link Malaysia Today berkenaan.
Got tape recorder, so difficult to spin, mah!
All those stuff bandied about by both sides are just wayang kulit, but I am amused by what the Tun M said about Malaysia being a police state under AAB? Say that again? How did Anwar get his black eye? .. Well, as Anwar has experienced, it's which side ofthe fence you are on, that you maybe wearing rose tinted glasses! Susmariosep!
ReplyDeleteAre you sure Kamaluddin has the full transcript? The Sun's one has more...
ReplyDelete