Abdullah told how to avoid 'Habibie syndrome'<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): The deputy to Malaysia's Prime Minister
\nMahathir Mohamad has complained of a smear campaign likening the
\npair to Indonesia's former presidents Soeharto and B.J. Habibie
\nin the run-up to party elections.<\/p>\n
\"It is sheer nonsense to Habibie-ism simply because of my
\nclose association with Mahathir,\" Deputy Premier Abdullah Ahmad
\nBadawi was quoted by Wednesday's Sun newspaper as saying.<\/p>\n
But a senior opposition figure said Abdullah must disassociate
\nhimself from Mahathir's \"phobias and manias\" to avoid such
\ncomparisons before the May leadership elections in the ruling
\nUnited Malays National Organization.<\/p>\n
Lim Kit Siang, chairman of the Democratic Action Party, said
\nAbdullah -- Mahathir's preferred successor -- should above all be
\nprepared to face an election for the party's number two post.<\/p>\n
Almost all newspapers splashed Abdullah's comments, made in
\nresponse to allegations that some UMNO members were campaigning
\nagainst him on the grounds of a \"Habibie syndrome.\"<\/p>\n
The deputy premier insisted his support for Mahathir was not
\nbased on \"blind loyalty\" but on respect for his leadership.<\/p>\n
After Soeharto stepped down under pressure in May 1998, his
\nhand-picked replacement B.J. Habibie took over. But his
\npopularity slumped due to his ties with the previous regime.
\nAbdurrahman Wahid was last year elected president in his place.<\/p>\n
\"If Abdullah does not want to become a Habibie, he must
\ndisassociate himself from Mahathir's phobias and manias and
\nquickly develop his own vision and mind on justice, freedom,
\ndemocracy and good governance,\" said Lim in a statement.<\/p>\n
In particular, he said, Abdullah should disregard the \"no
\ncontest\" advice issued by UMNO's Supreme Council for the party
\npresidency and deputy presidency.<\/p>\n
UMNO has dominated politics since independence in 1957 and its
\npresident and deputy president are automatically prime minister
\nand deputy premier.<\/p>\n
The Supreme Council chaired by Mahathir in January \"advised\"
\nmembers that the premier and Abdullah be nominated unopposed for
\nthe posts.<\/p>\n
Mahathir, in office for 18 years, says this will be his last
\nterm. Abdullah is already deputy premier but needs the party
\ndeputy presidency -- vacant since the sacking of former deputy
\nprime minister Anwar Ibrahim -- to confirm his status.<\/p>\n
The \"no contest\" move has sparked growing opposition within
\nUMNO.<\/p>\n
In another development, Malaysia's government has severely
\ncurbed sales of the only major opposition newspaper by
\nauthorizing its publication just twice a month instead of twice a
\nweek at present, its editor said Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Zulkifli Sulong, editor of Harakah, said an official in the
\nHome Affairs Ministry had told him that the publication license
\n-- required under Malaysian law -- would be renewed only for two
\nissues a month.<\/p>\n
The newspaper of the Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) now
\npublishes bi-weekly and current sales are around 277,000 for each
\nissue. Its annual permit expired on Feb. 28.<\/p>",
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