Razaleigh ends rivalry with PM Mahathir

Razaleigh ends rivalry with PM Mahathir

KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Malaysian opposition strongman Tengku
Razaleigh Hamzah said yesterday he was ready to return to Prime
Minister Mahathir Mohamad's party, ending nine years of bitter
political rivalry between the two.

"Malay unity would not be complete if all Malay factions in
the country don't unite," Razaleigh told reporters after
announcing that his Spirit of '46 party was willing to merge with
Mahathir's United Malays National Organization (UMNO).

"I'd also like to make it clear that we did not ask for
anything in return for this reunification bid," added Razaleigh,
a former finance minister in Mahathir's cabinet.

UMNO, the lynchpin of Malaysia's ruling National Front
coalition, celebrates its 50th anniversary this weekend and
speculation had been rife that Razaleigh would rejoin the party.

Mahathir told reporters on Wednesday that Razaleigh, in a
meeting with him, expressed a desire to return to UMNO's fold at
some point in the future.

Razaleigh confirmed Mahathir's statement, made late Wednesday,
that he was rejoining the party he left nine years ago but said
he would only do so "en bloc" with the rest of his Spirit 46
splinter party.

"It's not Tengku (Prince) Razaleigh who is important. We need
to take all members of 46 to join," he told a press conference at
his house here.

But the former finance minister laughed off talk that he was
being brought back by Mahathir to keep Mahathir's deputy Anwar
Ibrahim in line.

"I'm a simple little chap," Razaleigh said.

"I am not going in for anything," he added, stressing that
Semangat had "not asked for anything" in return for joining UMNO.

Razaleigh left UMNO in 1987 to form the opposition party after
a bruising bid to oust Mahathir as UMNO president -- a post that
traditionally allows its holder to become premier.

He has since been a constant critic of Mahathir's government,
alleging widespread corruption, and in 1990 formed an alliance
with opposition Parti Islam to wrest northeastern Kelantan state
from UMNO control.

Razaleigh's return follows the break-up of his party's ties
with PAS in the sole opposition state. He could potentially bring
with him 400,000 Semangat members to bolster UMNO's 2.4 million.

Razaleigh brushed off suggestions that his and Mahathir's
troubled past would impede cooperation.

"I never had any differences with Dr. Mahathir," he said. He
said he had only disagreed with Mahathir's policies.

Deputy Premier Anwar said earlier yesterday he did not feel
threatened by Mahathir's move to bring Razaleigh back, dismissing
talk that Razaleigh's presence would check his influence.

"I wouldn't want to sound over-confident but I think that
(position in UMNO) is certainly not the issue," Anwar told
reporters.

"The principle that we have upheld so far is to welcome
everybody into the party," he added.

Anwar, whose supporters have been reported in recent months as
anxious for their patron to take over from Mahathir quickly, said
he supported the move by Razaleigh to rejoin UMNO "as long as it
does not create a faction within the party."

Razaleigh later responded to Anwar's comment, alluding to
already present factions. "We all pray for that," he said, "that
factions that exist in UMNO today will also not exist."

Analysts said Razaleigh's return could affect the political
influence of Anwar, whose supporters have made no secret their
desire to have their 47-year-old patron replace the 72-year-old
premier.

The party has already given its blessing for Mahathir and
Anwar to be returned unopposed as president and deputy president
respectively in the party's triennial polls in October.

UMNO is the backbone of the ruling 14-member National Front
coalition. The party has ruled the country since independence in
1957 and holds its 50th anniversary tomorrow.