Calls Emerge For PM, Mahathir To Meet Again

KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 (Bernama) -- Calls have emerged for Prime Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to meet again to patch up their differences.

Cheras Umno Division chief Datuk Syed Ali Al Habshee suggested Tuesday that Abdullah lead an Umno Supreme Council delegation at the meeting with Dr Mahathir to resolve their spat.

He said it was pointless to go on accusing each other in the media as this would only lead to destruction of the party.

Umno veteran Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Tapa said in Melaka that the council of former elected representatives, Mubarak, should help in the mediation effort to stop the hurling of accusations.

Both Abdullah and Dr Mahathir had a private meeting on Oct 22 2006 following a similar spat.

After the general election last month, in which the Barisan Nasional (BN) lost its two-third majority in the Dewan Rakyat and lost Penang, Kedah, Perak and Selangor to the Opposition while failing to recapture Kelantan, Dr Mahathir resumed his criticisms of Abdullah and has even called for his resignation.

On Monday, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi called on Umno veterans to take the initiative to arrange a meeting between Abdullah and Dr Mahathir to stop the verbal assaults.

Syed Ali said Dr Mahathir, as a former leader and a party veteran, had expressed his opinion on what was happening in Umno now and what should be done to rebuild the party.

"I believe Tun Dr Mahathir has no intention at all to destroy Umno when he hurled criticisms at the party leadership as they are meant to rectify weaknesses in the party," he said.

Syed Ali said the meeting between Abdullah and Dr Mahathir should be held soon as allowing the spat to prolong would only worsen the situation and eventually destroy the party.

Abdul Aziz said the accusations must stop because only the enemies of Umno would benefit from such quarrels.

Last Sunday, Abdullah, who is Umno president, replied to all the criticisms by Dr Mahathir as well as Gua Musang Member of Parliament Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah who had called for an extraordinary general meeting of the party to discuss the outcome of the general election.

Abdul Aziz said the general election was held a month ago but Umno members were still blaming one another for the dismal performance of the BN.

"By right, we should be working together to seek ways to strengthen the party," he said.

He also said that Umno members who had sabotaged the party during the general election should be penalised so that it served as a lesson for the others.

-- BERNAMA