Abdullah told how to avoid 'Habibie syndrome'

Abdullah told how to avoid 'Habibie syndrome'

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): The deputy to Malaysia's Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad has complained of a smear campaign likening the
pair to Indonesia's former presidents Soeharto and B.J. Habibie
in the run-up to party elections.

"It is sheer nonsense to Habibie-ism simply because of my
close association with Mahathir," Deputy Premier Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi was quoted by Wednesday's Sun newspaper as saying.

But a senior opposition figure said Abdullah must disassociate
himself from Mahathir's "phobias and manias" to avoid such
comparisons before the May leadership elections in the ruling
United Malays National Organization.

Lim Kit Siang, chairman of the Democratic Action Party, said
Abdullah -- Mahathir's preferred successor -- should above all be
prepared to face an election for the party's number two post.

Almost all newspapers splashed Abdullah's comments, made in
response to allegations that some UMNO members were campaigning
against him on the grounds of a "Habibie syndrome."

The deputy premier insisted his support for Mahathir was not
based on "blind loyalty" but on respect for his leadership.

After Soeharto stepped down under pressure in May 1998, his
hand-picked replacement B.J. Habibie took over. But his
popularity slumped due to his ties with the previous regime.
Abdurrahman Wahid was last year elected president in his place.

"If Abdullah does not want to become a Habibie, he must
disassociate himself from Mahathir's phobias and manias and
quickly develop his own vision and mind on justice, freedom,
democracy and good governance," said Lim in a statement.

In particular, he said, Abdullah should disregard the "no
contest" advice issued by UMNO's Supreme Council for the party
presidency and deputy presidency.

UMNO has dominated politics since independence in 1957 and its
president and deputy president are automatically prime minister
and deputy premier.

The Supreme Council chaired by Mahathir in January "advised"
members that the premier and Abdullah be nominated unopposed for
the posts.

Mahathir, in office for 18 years, says this will be his last
term. Abdullah is already deputy premier but needs the party
deputy presidency -- vacant since the sacking of former deputy
prime minister Anwar Ibrahim -- to confirm his status.

The "no contest" move has sparked growing opposition within
UMNO.

In another development, Malaysia's government has severely
curbed sales of the only major opposition newspaper by
authorizing its publication just twice a month instead of twice a
week at present, its editor said Wednesday.

Zulkifli Sulong, editor of Harakah, said an official in the
Home Affairs Ministry had told him that the publication license
-- required under Malaysian law -- would be renewed only for two
issues a month.

The newspaper of the Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) now
publishes bi-weekly and current sales are around 277,000 for each
issue. Its annual permit expired on Feb. 28.