This will in fact be a massive campaign of lies against the Opposition - an important plank of Barisan Nasional game-plan to make the next election the "dirtiest" in history to preserver its two-thirds parliamentary majority.
Mahathir is slated to launch another pre-election nation-wide tour starting in Kedah for two days beginning on Oct. 21.
Mahathir should stop misusing his powers and positions as Prime Minister to conduct another nation-wide tour to drum up voter support for the Barisan Nasional, especially when he is spearheading the UMNO campaign of lies and falsehoods against the Opposition.
Mahathir should make a clear distinction between his duties as the Prime Minister of Malaysia and his party political postions as head of UMMO and Barisan Nasional.
It is no business of the Prime Minister of Malaysia to campaign for votes for the Barisan Nasional, and Malaysian taxpayers have the right to demand greater political propriety and integrity by insisting that Mahathir should not go round the country using public funds and resources to drum up support for Barisan Nasional, as this is a gross abuse of power, misappropriation of public funds and clear conflict of interest - the root causes of corruption.
If Mahathir is so concerned that the Barisan Nasional might lose
its two-thirds parliamentary majority for the first time in history, and
he has to spearhead the Barisan Nasional campaign to consolidate voter
support for the next election, he should step down temporarily as Prime
Minister to fully focus on his party political duties and let Datuk Seri
Abdullah Badawi act as Prime Minister
until the outcome of the next election.
This was what Bapa Malaysia, Tengku Abdul Rahman did in April 1959, when he felt that he had to go round the country to consolidate national support for Alliance, which was faced with formidable challenge from the Opposition. Tengku stepped down temporarily as Prime Minister between April to August 1959 so that he would not be accused of abusing his powers and position as Prime Minister when he led the campaign for public support for Alliance, resuming the Prime Minister’s post after the Alliance won the 1959 general election. Tun Razak acted as the Prime Minister during those four months.
(10/10/99)