In the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876, a hopelessly outnumbered General Custer, along with his Seventh Cavalry of the United States Army, was defeated by a combined Lakota-Northern Cheyenne force. Custer and his forces were outnumbered at least three to one. When the end came, it was swift, the final battle lasting only 30 minutes to an hour.
As Abdullah Badawi surveys the formidable gathering forces – Anwar and the Pakatan Rakyat, Tengku Razaleigh and Mukhriz, Mahathir and Najib – on the terrain around him, he could be forgiven for wanting to dig in deep and come out fighting with a slew of reforms. Why, even Hishamuddin has apologised!
But these reforms are likely to be too little too late. For one thing, he has not delivered where it matters most. Think of the yet-to-be-formed Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission, a truly independent judiciary, a fearlessly independent Election Commission, the release of the Hindraf and other ISA detainees and the repeal of repressive laws such as the ISA, the Printing Presses and Publications Act and the Universities and University Colleges Act.
The only real question now is how long he can last.
Abdullah’s second-chance reform drive
By Anil Netto
PENANG – Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has mounted a rearguard fight to salvage his leadership in the face of a poor electoral showing and formidable challenges to his rule, both from within and outside his United Malays Nasional Organization (UMNO) party.
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Badawi has become infamous for his inaction. The thing is, everyone has forgotten one important action: releasing Anwar. LTH’s conclusions are correct. We all know what happened to the last person who tried to clean up the BN.
The question which begs to be asked is this: Is Badawi and Anwar two sides of the same coin? Besides the politicians from the east, who else could be getting ready to jump ship?
How much longer will AAB last depends very much on how much space the rakyat is willing to give him. Though he has neglected much during his last term, he has now taken initiatives on many fronts. Instead of adding more oil into the fire which his detractors in UMNO has started, the rakyat should, if it wants to see progress on the initiatives taken, prod him, push him forward, guide him through the written words, and monitor him to keep him on track. Don’t continue to aid his detracors unwittingly. Surveying the present bunch of leaders in UMNO, it… Read more »
Outstanding article. I really can’t find one single article for the past weeks that sums up the reality of AAB – our ex PM soon
Should we discount AAB fully or not? When he is sorrounded by people (perceived to be corrupt) – just look at (certain of) his cabinet members – I don’t think he can do really much to walk his talk. It is just an empty can again, a lot of noice but nothing is done. A judicial reform? What reform he is talking about? He should be challenged to take action against, if he dares, (some of these high-ranking BN politicians) if he really means what he says. Allegations of corruption against BN politicians are so many. To the BN, I… Read more »
hi anil, u must have been doing in depth research on mr. aab, his friends and foes. good job! keep up the good work. there should be another blogger like u in sarawak or sabah. we are very sick here. the ‘wind’ is blowing helplessly, and the ‘hornbill’ is dying. our hair gets ‘greyer’ and ‘greyer’. pls help us to improve things here. our chief minister propers day after day, while we, the rakyat, live desperately. we could hardly drive tens and tens of kilometers with a 10 ringgit petrol, but our chief minister still smile riding a thousand kilometer… Read more »
Hi anil,
I love in abdullah once but i hate him now due to is empty promises,lies and left is people … like krismuddin and also brought back the proven corrupted tyson.
But i still prefer him at this moment rather than najib or any umno guys.They already sow a seed of hatred and the plants are growing.Most of umno big guns on denial mode why they are kick out but abdullah still a gentlement for accepting the lost.There is no operasi lalang under him.
Raj Raman;sometimes i view in different angle.
If AAB can carry through even some of the promised reforms, history and the Malaysian public will look kindly at him. At least, a lot more kindly than his predecessor who, in the end, was ‘hoist by his own petard’, as the French will say. An aging recalcitrant man in his 80’s still fighting for a place in Malaysian history, denied by former subordinates and pitied by his onetime peers. AAB, no matter his shortcomings, is not evil and does not deserve an ignominous fate.
don’t count AAB out as yet, my friends, even though it seems like his PM days will be over very soon. The whole irony of the GE2008 ‘defeat’ seems to have given AAB the political strength that he never was able to muster with his 91% landslide mandate the rakyat gave him in GE2004. He simply could not carry through the reforms he promised then given the euphria and arragance built up over the years within his BN colleagues, who would never allow any encroachment into their politically-acquired economic pies being eroded if the reforms were really pushed through. Now,… Read more »
Sounds familiar, closing the gate when the horse has bolted.
Well done, Sdr Anil. Pak Lah can still redeem his dignity. He appeared lost after Endon passed away and thus KJ & Gang, the opportunists took advantage of him. Now Pak Lah should wake up and listen to the RAKYAT. A bit too late, but if he has the political will, he can still do a lot of things. Just talk with Zaid, then take quick and bold steps to bleach the AG Charmber, reform the Judiciary, implement IPCMC, abolish OSA, ensure total press freedom etc (like those pointed by you in your article). Ironically, Pak Lah may become one… Read more »
This time he better get it right and fast too. The rakyat’s burden is looming bigger and bigger. You DO NOT play with the lives of the rakyat, especially when you are PM.
Can anyone out there enlighten us on the outcome of the
correct! correct! correct! RCI (Circus) report? Thought
it should be submitted by yesterday with two weeks’
extension.
I have a feeling that Pak Lah will announce his stepping down in May this year, as the Malaysia’s controlled news are sprouting more news of the Deputy PM (practically little coverage is given to Pak Lah). In essence Pak Lah is preparing the path for Malaysian to get used to the current DPM.
General Custer lost to the Red Indians He was too proud and never wanted to listen He led his charges to his last stand Cornered and never got a chance to live Back to reality AAB half heartedly measures It won’t work He loves committees Every time he wants to change something He never forgets his mindset of his government servant’s day Committees here and there Feeling good with no substance More statements nothing concrete to show Sleeping on it when the light hits the road He doesn’t learn it; he never will MCAC nothing new just merely a new… Read more »