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Media Statement
by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Parliament, Friday) :  The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, has  broken his “elegant silence” following months of  barrage of criticisms and attacks by former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.

Although Abdullah said yesterday that his focus now as the prime minister was to honour his promises to the people and understand their aspirations, from his initial rebuttal of Mahathir yesterday, he seemed to have lost sight and track of his reform pledges when he became Prime Minister three years ago – to lead an efficient, accountable, trustworthy,  incorruptible, democratic and people-oriented administration which is prepared to hear the “truth” from the Malaysian citizenry.

Abdullah had made a clear and explicit pledge in the March  2004 general election to break from the corruption, nepotism and cronyism of the Mahathir administration and which was the cause of his unprecedented landslide electoral victory resulting in 91 per cent command of the parliamentary seats.

However, Abdullah’s first response to Mahathir yesterday has pained Malaysians who had hoped that he would honour his promise to the people to lead a government of reform to eradicate corruption and uphold integrity.

In response to Mahathir’s criticism that his son, Kamaluddin was given a project despite not having the capacity, viz Scomi Bhd  awarded TNB’s contract to transport coal but did not have a ship, Abdullah said:

"Not having ships... that's not true, actually, the company has ships... 180 ships owned by another company which was acquired by Scomi... his children (Dr Mahathir's) also received contracts, only it was not highlighted.

"The projects awarded to Dr Mahathir's children were far bigger from what Scomi received." (Bernama)

Is Abdullah seriously suggesting that there is nothing wrong with his son getting government contracts so long as  Mahathir’s children had got bigger ones?
 

It will be most tragic for the Abdullah premiership and the nation if instead of making a complete break from the corruption, cronyism and nepotism of the Mahathir era, it is reduced to defending itself by claiming that its three-year administration had not chalked up as bad and atrocious a record as  compared to 22 years of the previous Mahathir rule!

(27/10/2006)