An Aging, Out-Of-Touch-With-Reality Umno Crony Speaks Up For Dr Mahathir

Cheras Umno head Datuk Syed Ali Al-Habshee has rapped the New Straits Times (NST) editors for publishing reports of opposition party members belittling Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

"I am deeply disappointed," he said in a statement Monday.

"I am of the opinion that it is totally improper for a newspaper like the NST to publish such reports as Dr Mahathir has done many good deeds for the people and country," he added.

On page six, the newspaper today published Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's labelling of the former prime minister as an old and confused leader.

It also published, on the same page, Puchong Member of Parliament Gobind Singh Deo accusing Dr Mahathir of damaging the country's democratic process and independence of the judiciary.

Syed Ali said the NST was being unfair in it giving a picture about Dr Mahathir from the perspective of opposition leaders who were known never to see the good deeds done by Barisan Nasional leaders and government.

"I hope the relevant people will take the appropriate action so that no Umno institution will ever be used by the opposition to belittle leaders who have done many good deeds for the people and country.

"We have to respect and appreciate the good deeds of past leaders. When the present leaders are no longer in service, we should also respect and appreciate their good deeds," he said.

He said that from feedback he received, the people especially the Malays could not accept the continuous running down and insult on Dr Mahathir. Such acts would only make them angry towards the government, he added.

"We have to be careful so that we are not being used as a tool to create uneasiness or anger towards the government," he said. (Bernama)

***** So Syed Ali Al-Habshee considers the NST an 'Umno institution'! Interesting. Speaks volumes of how out-of-tune his mental faculties are at the moment. Times have changed and for the NST to persist with the old Umnospeak will only hasten its current marginalisation, confirm its lack of credibility and guarantee its eventual demise. 'Publish the truth or perish' is the only formula for NST's survival and no Umno crony is going to change that now.

I like the part where this idiot says, "the people especially the Malays could not accept the continuous running down and insult on Dr Mahathir"! This is nothing but an oft-used, pathetic trick to give his argument an 'us vs. them' bangsa twist. In real fact a large number of Malays, including some in the highest echelons of government and Umno, are in the forefront of roundly condemning the former PM for his venomous tirades against Pak Lah and his administration.

If Dr Mahathir had conducted himself like a retired statesman instead of pugnaciously putting down the government at every turn, he would have been placed on a pedestal and the many sins he committed while in power would probably have been forgiven and forgotten. But no. He persisted in condemning the PM and the government as if he were still an active politician and therefore he must be prepared to receive as much flak as he is willing to deliver. It is part and parcel of everyday politics and this silly old crony hollering his disapproval and trying to make a federal case out of it, should just jump under the nearest tempurung and take a long, long rest. That's the best patriotic gesture he can make at the moment.