Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has still four days to go before Oct. 9 to announce his Hamlet decision of “To Do Or Not To Do” – “To Defend Or Not To Defend the Umno President (and Prime Minister’s) Post”.
However, the declaration by five Umno leaders, led by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Mohd Ali Rustam, of their decision or interest to contest for the Umno Deputy President’s post before it falls vacant is very eloquent testimony that Abdullah has ceased to exist in their political radar well before his Oct. 9 announcement.
Clearly, Abdullah has already been ousted from the mainstream Umno currents and relegated to the periphery of Umno politics although he is still incumbent Umno President and Prime Minister. How fast the powerful have fallen!
But will Abdullah drop a bombshell of a surprise in his “before Oct. 9” announcement – as former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad seems to think, when he said today that he does not believe that Abdullah intends to announce his departure before the start of Umno divisional meetings on Oct 9.
Mahathir said: “He likes to change his position, so as long as he does not make the announcement I will not believe it.”
The bet however is on Abdullah throwing in the towel as a result of the immense pressures by the Umno leaders for him to scuttle his mid-June 2010 power transition plan.
I believe Abdullah will have to announce his intentions by Wednesday, which is probably the last Cabinet meeting which he could preside with dignity and authority – unless he is prepared to demonstrate that he will under no circumstances be a “lameduck” Prime Minister, whether defends the post of Umno President or not.
(Speech at the 2,000-People Puchong DAP dinner at 14ms Puchong, Selangor on Sunday, 5th October 2008 at 10 pm)