|
 •
Abdullah says he doesn't regret decision to hand over power
©New Sunday Times
(Used by permission)
It's not quite over yet for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
who tells BERNAMA that he has to look into a few important matters before he
hand over power to Datuk Seri Najib Razak in March
Q: How do you feel now that you have made your announcement? Do you feel
relieved, maybe a tinge of regret?
A: I thank God for making it easy for me to decide. I have decided, I am happy
with the decision and I feel good about it.
I recall that when I was elected in 2004, I set out in my manifesto what I
thought the country would be and what the country needed to do to achieve Vision
2020. I recall all that.
After the vision was announced in 1990, implementation was good. Malaysia did
well over the first 15 years. I was fully aware that in the second half of the
journey (for Vision 2020), we would have challenging times.
I have said on many occasions that when you climb up, making the final push for
the summit, like climbing Everest, the final assault is the most difficult part
of the climb.
I think we have put in place a good foundation and, guided by the National
Mission, I believe we can achieve our aim. I am confident that my successor will
continue my work and do what it takes to get us there.
Q: Are you saying that regardless of you being there (as the prime minister)
or not, you have laid a good foundation for Vision 2020?
A: Yes, I believe the time is right for a new generation of leaders to take
over. What is important is that Umno and BN must be united in dealing with all
the challenges we are facing.
Q: What went through your mind before you came to such a decision?
A: I must say this. After the election, there were people who said that I must
go. Some people held me responsible for the results which nobody (in BN) liked,
which shocked party members, particularly Umno.
But there were also others who were rooting strongly for me, urging me to stay
on to continue my work. And they had been coming to the house in groups, telling
me that "you cannot leave, you have your mission, you have to complete your
mission".
I listened to every side but, at the same time, I had to look at the real
situation, into the future and finally I made up my mind that it was the right
time to hand over the responsibilities.
Q: Did you inform the Yang di-Pertuan Agong?
A: No.
Q: Why not?
A: I don't think it is a necessary because it is purely a party matter. I'm
still the prime minister. When it comes to handing over or appointing a
successor to the prime minister, only then it is important to inform the king.
Q: You were described as being cheerful on the day of the announcement. How
could you be so when announcing that you will eventually be leaving the
limelight and the trappings of power?
A: As I told you, the decision do not trouble me. I do not regret the decision.
I felt good about it and that was why I could be cheerful. What I'm doing is in
the best interest of the country and the party. It will allow us to focus on the
job at hand and I fully intend to utilise the months ahead to implement my
agenda. Leaving the limelight and giving up power is not my main concern.
Q: Do you think that your departure will help party unity?
A: I hope my decision will be in the best interest of the country. At the same
time, I want to focus on what I need to do. I believe the attitude and behaviour
of party members will determine the future of the party -- that is very
important. If they put public interest before their own, Umno will be fine.
Q: Now that you have stated your intention to resign, some quarters have even
clamoured for you to go now. Some have even told you not to say anything between
now and March while they go on making statements even after they have left
office. Your comments, please.
A: I am well aware of what I want to do. I have planned my retirement, I have
planned ahead on when I need to hand over and what to do. I am not staying on
just to bask in the glory of being prime minister. I had decided to stay on
because I have a mission. I must make good on the promises I have made,
especially on the reforms. Remember, I was criticised for having promised
something which the people liked and welcomed, and then they said that I did not
deliver.
But I did not complete them in the first four years because I had concentrated
on other things. But there is one thing that I would like to mention, that my
election manifesto in 2004 was not only for the four years (lasting until 2008)
when I am in power.
Q: So you saw that as laying the foundation for the future?
A: Yes. I am aware that I came in just after the first half of the
implementation of Vision 2020. I came in towards the beginning of the second
half of Vision 2020. So I still had three five-year development periods (to
implement various programmes).
I thought I could choose the second half to implement what I wanted. However,
there was unhappiness over what the people expected I should have done and
things I had not done.
So when I announced the reform of the judiciary and the Anti-Corruption Agency,
there was very strong support. Some people now question why I hadn't announced
these reforms before the last elections and said they would have supported them.
Anyway, it doesn't matter now. What happened has happened. Before I leave, I
will make sure that I implement a few reforms and some economic programmes. I am
still the prime minister, so I don't see why I should keep quiet. Maybe those
who are asking me to keep quiet want to monopolise the spotlight for themselves.
Q: Will you miss the hustle and bustle of the highest office of the land?
A: Maybe, but I will know it when I retire. It will be someone else's time. I
can safely say that I will not be trying to govern from the sidelines.
Q: You led BN to a landslide victory in 2004 and then suffered a reversal in
2008. Do you think the lack of support was because you did not deliver on your
promises to reform?
A: That's what people say, and I believe what they say. Those were some of the
serious complaints because the reforms that I promised moved a lot of people,
judging from the comments in the newspapers after the 2004 elections.
Q: You felt that the government should have done more in terms of fulfilling
the people's aspirations. Can you cite examples?
A: Again it was in the implementation aspect of the reforms. We didn't complete
them. I have always wanted to institute these changes, but I wanted to do them
gradually. But maybe people wanted me to move quick and maybe that's why they
expressed their disappointment.
In any case, I have stated that I want to deliver on these institutional reforms
and also launch the social safety net which will cover 110,000 households.
Q: Do you think you were hasty in calling for polls when you didn't have time
to get the BN machinery in order?
A: Well, the timing was carefully thought out. I wanted to get a renewed mandate
because there were so many criticisms over so many things. So I thought that it
would be good to get a new mandate. That was why I decided to have the election
at a time when many people felt it was be a bit too early.
I thought if I were to delay (the election), it would be risky. Look at what
happened after the general election. The price of oil went up and food prices as
well. And with other problems cropping up, I thought it would be more difficult
for us than what we got in the election, where we had 58 seats more than the
opposition.
If we had delayed the polls, it could have been worse, because we would have to
deal with problems like higher oil prices, inflation and the global economic
turmoil that we are experiencing now.
In many developed countries, having a 58-seat majority would have been described
as a landslide victory. I have met many of my (foreign) colleagues and they
asked me what all the noise was about in Malaysia.
I told them I did not get a two-third majority and they said: "What? We never
got two-thirds. Why are you so concerned about two-thirds?"
I told them that Malaysians are Malaysians, they like to have the portion that
they always had. Whether they are hungry or not, it does not matter, they always
want to have the portion they are used to.
Q: It has been said that there has been a greater degree of freedom in the
country as part of your administrative reform. Some people have even blamed your
openness as a cause for your downfall.
A: People have their own views but let's be realistic about this. In this era,
where people have access to information through so many different sources, the
logic is to embrace openness. You don't muzzle the press. If certain newspapers
were to have heavy censorship on one particular subject, people can still have
access to information through other sources. So the newspapers are worried that
they may be perceived as not telling the truth. So that's the kind of openness
that you have to admit and accept (these days).
A new generation of young, well educated and better informed Malaysians has
emerged. People are not stupid or ill-informed, so BN must learn to explain its
policies better. The most important thing is recognising this development. I
have always held this view that we must give more space and freedom for
democratic discourse.
The problem in the past was that we (the government) had not been able to
explain our policies to deal with the situation more effectively. It is a new
situation for us, even for me. After we had allowed this freedom of openness, we
have to cope with it. And the people had reacted to it in the most enthusiastic
way, and they think that freedom means they can say anything they want. Like
what is happening in the blogs. I am not saying that everyone is abusing it but
I think the number or percentage of those who tend to abuse it or can abuse it
is big enough to cause a lot of concern and problems.
Q: So, as a result, you still need laws like the Printing Presses and
Publications Act, the Sedition Act and the Official Secrets Act.
A: Well, I do need all those acts that we have.
Q: As a check and balance?
A: Yes, as a check and balance. But, of course, in implementing the acts, we
have to be wise. It is not a set of laws to be exploited. We cannot abuse the
laws we have. They are to curb things we ought not to do.
It is unacceptable to have complete freedom. We cannot allow people to spread
lies and slander freely, which is sometimes the case with the alternative media.
I just ask them to look at the environment objectively. I think there is more
open criticism of the government now than ever.
We have bodies like Pemudah, where criticism of government machinery is
expressed frankly to the faces of senior civil servants. And these criticisms
are acted upon. I believe when people view the situation objectively, they will
see that they have a lot more space for constructive discourse.
Q: So, in a nutshell, are you saying that the government ought to know how to
grapple with this openness and freedom, which is really a global phenomenon?
A: In a way, it is a worldwide phenomenon. It is all because we have access to
more information from all sorts of sources and the people are learning to
communicate with one another in a different way, like SMS, YouTube or Facebook.
The new communication technology has given us the freedom to disseminate and
access information.
Q: Do you think you can achieve much over the next five months? What is your
game plan? Are there other things on your mind for which you might want to lay
the foundation for future generations?
A: I must remain focused in terms of what I want to achieve. We have done some
work already but we do also have some problems in getting them off the ground.
But then, it is not that we are starting from scratch.
I still have executive power until the day I decide to hand over
responsibilities to my successor. What I am proposing is good and important for
the country, so I believe the people who choose to obstruct progress would not
be acting in the interest of the country or the people.
As I said, I want to get these reforms done, and if I need to bring other people
in to help me accomplish them, I'll do it.
Institutional reforms, for some reason, do not interest many people, but I
believe that this is a crucial area for Malaysia, especially if we aspire to be
a mature, developed nation.
The perception towards our institutions has been eroded over time. It does not
matter whether this perception is right or wrong. It is a negative perception
and if it is not addressed, then it will harden into reality.
Once people lose their trust and confidence in institutions, the country cannot
function properly. People must believe in the effectiveness of the judiciary and
law-enforcement agencies. They must believe that the government is serious about
fighting corruption. What I am trying to do is formalise these changes.
On the economic side, I have often said before that our growth and prosperity
need to be shared more evenly on a number of levels -- between communities,
between the rich and poor, between regions. The social safety net must be
broadened and improved to look after less fortunate Malaysians.
Our development corridor initiative is important because it allows quality
opportunities to be distributed equitably throughout the country, instead of
being concentrated solely in urban centres.
I know that people keep asking, "Where are the results?" but we should realise
that these are long-term plans which will take a number of years to be fully
implemented.
Still, I realise that visible results are important, so I hope we can make some
tangible progress within the next six months.
Q: Do you believe you can get the support of your cabinet for some of the
reforms that you want to introduce?
A: People have different views. There will be differences of opinion, but Insya-Allah
(God willing) I am confident that I can get the support. If not, I will have to
find people who will support the changes that I am proposing.
Q: Can you get agreement from the opposition?
A: Why not? It is up to them. If they want to play politics, they may refrain
from supporting them. They may see that this is fun because if the government
cannot fulfil its proposals, then it would become a point to throw into the face
of the government in that we haven't done this or that. It will become an issue
for their political campaigns, but will it be good for the rakyat? I don't think
so.
If that is the approach that they are taking, I will be very sad. You are
depriving the people of something that they (the people) want. But the
opposition wants to do things their way. We have our way. But we are ready to
hear what they want to say.
These proposals are good for the people. Both sides have to accept that they are
not going to get everything, but we should reach enough points of agreement to
pass the bills.
I don't think the opposition will block them just because of politics. If they
did that, then they would be doing a disservice to the public.
I hope there are enough common areas. At least, we have done something. No law
is cast in stone. We can still make amendments. Let us fight for the sake of the
people. That also applies to the people in my government. If they are not going
to help me to do this or oppose, I may have to get some other people.
Q: Meaning that there should be less politicking and more working for the
people?
A: Yes, absolutely.
Q: Some observers have stated that BN would have suffered an electoral
setback, regardless of who was leading the party?
A: I don't know. I don't want to say anything, I have never thought about it.
What we need to do now is not talk about what had happened or who is more
well-placed to lead, but we have learnt the lessons from the experience of the
last general election.
What we need to do when the next general election comes is to do better than we
had done before. What is clear is that we should listen closely to what the
people want and deliver it to them.
Q: What do you think BN needs to do to regain the trust and support of the
public?
A: Our formula has worked for over 50 years, first as the Alliance and then as
BN. To me, it is a good model, because it gives everyone a seat at the table.
The opposition has also formed an alliance, but I think it will be difficult to
make that work because their ideologies are so different. But like all things,
our formula needs to be revisited from time to time.
It is always complicated when you have such a big "family". Some people say Umno
is too dominant. Some people in Umno think that others are demanding too many
things. What is clear is that we need to have more clarity. We need to discuss
how we can make our collaboration more effective.
That is why I have called for a BN convention early next year. It may not come
up with all the answers, but it will certainly put us on the right path.
Q: On Wednesday, you mentioned the alarming deterioration of inter-racial and
inter-religious relations. But you have been seen as back-tracking on
inter-faith dialogue. What went wrong?
A: I have not really backed away from inter-faith dialogue. What I have said is
that these sensitive discussions must be handled with care, perhaps behind
closed doors, because it is such a volatile and emotional subject. Every time it
is raised, there will be people who will feel threatened; they feel as if their
rights and sensitivities will be trampled upon.
Q: What do you think are the key challenges facing your successor, Datuk Seri
Najib Razak?
A: I think it is national unity. The state of inter-racial and inter-religious
relations at the moment is not good. I think we have done well to thrive for
this long, but we need to get back to basics and understand that Malaysia is
stronger for the mix of different races and communities that we have.
Our racial and religious mix is a blessing, not a curse. Our assets should not
be turned into negatives. We need to tackle these issues head-on, with honesty
and understanding. After more than 50 years of independence, these issues still
remain with us.
Every time a generation understands it, there comes a new generation that has to
be educated and told about all this, how to live with one another without
conflict. So public education on the subject of race relations and religious
tolerance is something that they know.
It is like in a family. When the young generation is born, at some stage they
have to be told about the family, what we stand for, what we'd like to see, how
they should play their roles, how they should behave. It is all very important.
So when every new generation comes, they have to be educated. This is an issue
that will be with us for a very long time. This will be Najib's biggest
challenge.
Externally, I think the economy will continue to be challenging. It is a reverse
of 1998, because fundamentally, we are still strong. The problems are starting
in the so-called developed markets this time. Still, their problems will affect
us sooner or later. We have a very open economy. Total trade stands at over
twice our GDP. I think we have managed our economy prudently and this has put us
in a good position.
Q: What next after March? What do you most want to do once you have retired?
A: A holiday, perhaps. At the moment, I am concentrating on finishing what I
need to do with the institutional reforms and economic initiatives. After that
I'll have more time for my cucu (grandchildren) and things like golf and
fishing.
Q: How would you like to be remembered?
A: I will leave that to the people to determine. I am just thankful that I have
managed to serve my country for this long. -- Bernama
 |
News/Notices 
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Circular No 110/2012: Seminar on Introduction to ICC Arbitration: An Insight into the 2012 ICC Rules
