But why did Dr Mahathir sack Anwar and replace him with Pak Lah and what happened in those 15 months before Pak Lah took over? Why was Dr Mahathir very angry with Pak Lah just three years later, which prompted Dr Mahathir to also remove Pak Lah and replace him with Najib Tun Razak?
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
On 22nd June 2002, during his closing speech at the 56th Umno General Assembly, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced that he was resigning as Prime Minister.
“I would like to take this opportunity to announce my resignation as Umno President and all positions held by me in the party, resigning my post as Barisan Nasional Chairman and all posts in the Barisan Nasional,” he said while sobbing.
That technically meant he was resigning as Prime Minister as well because the Umno President and Chairman of Barisan Nasional is also the Prime Minister of Malaysia, unless Barisan Nasional loses the general election.
Everyone was taken by surprise and were in shock as the delegates shouted, “No, No, No! Withdraw! Withdraw!” Even Dr Mahathir’s close friends and family did not know he was going to do this.
Wanita Umno chief Rafidah Aziz and Pemuda Umno chief Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, followed by other Supreme Council members including Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (Pak Lah), rushed to the rostrum to persuade Dr Mahathir to withdraw his decision.
Rafidah was heard asking “Why sir?” while Hishammuddin said “No! No!”
Dr Mahathir responded by saying “I’ve decided, I’ve decided…long ago,” while he shook his head, trying to control his emotions.
It was an extremely emotional situation and the permanent chairman, Tun Sulaiman Ninam Shah, had to ask those present in the hall to remain calm. He then stood down the general assembly for about 45 minutes while attempts were made to persuade Dr Mahathir to withdraw his resignation and remain in his post.
Dr Mahathir was ushered backstage where the Umno leaders tried to convince him to withdraw his resignation. According to Aziz Shamsuddin (a member of Dr Mahathir’s inner circle), at the behest of Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamed Ali, he called for Dr Mahathir’s personal physician to examine the Prime Minister. They thought that maybe there was something medically wrong with Dr Mahathir. After examining the Prime Minister, the doctor certified him well.
At 7.00pm, Pak Lah came onstage to announce that Dr Mahathir had agreed to postpone his resignation for 15 months until 31st October 2003. Dr Mahathir, however, did not re-enter the hall and left for home with his family soon after that.
No one knows what happened that day. Did Dr Mahathir suffer a breakdown or was he just main wayangto test whether he still had the support of the party. The fact that Dr Siti Hasmah asked Aziz to summon a doctor meant that even she felt that there was something medically wrong with her husband (unless she was also part of that wayang, which I doubt).
Four years earlier, Dr Mahathir had sacked his deputy, Anwar Ibrahim, under most controversial circumstances, which even Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew said was the wrong move and which he called an unmitigated disaster. Kuan Yew added that he felt sorry for the former Prime Minister who was paying a very heavy price for this mistake.
The action against Anwar galvanised the opposition and for the first time in history they united under a coalition called Barisan Alternatif. Even Anwar’s party, Parti Keadilan Nasional, which was only seven months old, managed to win ten seats, five state seats and five parliament seats.
Even though Barisan Nasional still won the November 1999 general election, it was a poor show compared to the many general elections before that and it was expected that the next general election in 2004 was going to be even worse for the ruling coalition.
Some in Umno felt that if Dr Mahathir still led Umno and Barisan Nasional in the next general election they could even lose. Hence, to save the party, Dr Mahathir should consider resigning and hand power to his deputy, Pak Lah.
Was this the cause of Dr Mahathir’s breakdown? Or did he want to see whether he still had the support of the party?
Anyway, in June 2002, Dr Mahathir resigned and after 45 minutes of coaxing he agreed to postpone his resignation for another 15 months whereby on 1st November 2003 a new Prime Minister would take over.
But why did Dr Mahathir sack Anwar and replace him with Pak Lah and what happened in those 15 months before Pak Lah took over? Why was Dr Mahathir very angry with Pak Lah just three years later, which prompted Dr Mahathir to also remove Pak Lah and replace him with Najib Tun Razak?
We shall talk about all that and more in the next episode.
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