Jostling under way to succeed Mahathir
Jostling under way to succeed Mahathir
By Nelson Graves
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): The race to succeed Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is under way, and a former adversary who spent years in the political wilderness is building momentum.
Mahathir told party faithful on Sunday he was under pressure to choose a deputy prime minister to replace his former heir- apparent Anwar Ibrahim, sacked in September and now facing criminal charges which he denies.
Mahathir had wanted to keep the post vacant until his United Malays National Organization (UMNO) chooses a deputy party president to succeed Anwar at party elections set for mid-1999.
Since Malaysia won independence from Britain in 1957, the prime minister has always been UMNO chief and the deputy party leader has traditionally been deputy prime minister.
But Mahathir, who turns 73 on Dec. 20, has been forced to reconsider his earlier decision, which was to wait until mid- 1999.
The prime minister, who had heart bypass surgery in 1989, cited familiar concerns over a smooth transition of power should his health deteriorate.
"I have made a statement that I will wait until next year when selection is made, but many have different opinions," he told reporters on Sunday.
"That is, we should not wait too long because if something were to happen to me, what will happen? So, that are the worries of the people."
As he spoke, dozens of policemen and riot police ringed UMNO headquarters in a reminder of the sporadic anti-government street demonstrations that have taken place in the capital since Anwar's sacking. There was no protest on Sunday.
Political analysts and diplomats said criticism among UMNO rank and file over Anwar's sacking no doubt contributed to Mahathir's decision to consider picking a deputy.
They cite anecdotal evidence from UMNO divisions showing a worrisome loss of support since the charismatic Anwar was ousted, arrested and produced in court with a black eye.
Mahathir acknowledged to foreign fund managers last week that there were worries over succession now that the erstwhile prime- minister-in-waiting, Anwar, had been sidelined.
He said the selection of a new deputy could restore confidence in Malaysia's political stability, which until Anwar's fall from power and the imposition of capital controls had been one of the nation's trump cards in drawing foreign investment.
Asked what type of person he would tap as deputy, Mahathir responded with trademark sarcasm: "Exact replica of myself if it is possible."
No one expects the irrepressible Mahathir to find a clone after 17 years in power.
Instead, party members were sifting through his weekend remarks to find a clue to his thinking. For some, a comment at the end of his speech on Sunday stood out.
"Remember, in politics there are no permanent friends and no permanent enemies. There is no certainty that we are going to support the same candidates in future elections. We have a proverb which says, 'The shore will change according to the tide.'"
That comment, some said, could apply to Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, once Mahathir's political nemesis.
"There has been a wave of support for Razaleigh," a diplomat said. A businessman noted that stocks linked to Razaleigh's name including diversified Malayan United Industries Bhd (MUI) surged last Friday on talk he might be named.
Razaleigh, 62, once served in Mahathir's government but the two men became bitter rivals and engaged in a fierce contest in 1987 that split the politically dominant ethnic Malays.
A former finance minister and a member of a royal family, Razaleigh joined forces with other opposition parties to try to topple Mahathir in the 1990 general election. Razaleigh failed, and later rejoined UMNO in 1996.
Analysts said Razaleigh appeared to have several advantages over the two other front-runners, Foreign Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Education Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
Razaleigh was head of oil giant Petronas and Bank Bumiputra before serving as finance minister, giving him a solid grounding in the economy. "He is well liked among the ethnic Chinese business community," a local business leader said.
As he is not in the cabinet, he has not had to engage in bashing Anwar, giving him an edge among UMNO members uncomfortable with the ousted minister's fate.
Razaleigh is from the northeastern state of Kelantan, ruled by the Islamic fundamentalist PAS party. It is the only state not governed by Mahathir's coalition.
"He carries the princely title 'Tengku', and has great personal charm," a businessman said.
Said a Western diplomat: "He has serious quantities of personal wealth. A cash injection into UMNO's coffers would not go amiss."