Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad urged Malaysian lawmakers Wednesday (21 May) to temporarily leave the ruling coalition to force a leadership change.

Mahathir made the radical call to oust Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi two days after he shocked the country by resigning from the United Malays National Organization, the main party in the National Front governing coalition.

"This is a way to force Abdullah to resign," Mahathir wrote on his blog. "If ... the government no longer has a majority (in Parliament), Abdullah's government will fall."

Mahathir _ who handed power to Abdullah in 2003 after 22 years in office _ said the legislators should not join opposition parties and can return to the National Front after Abdullah steps down.

The National Front won 140 of the 222 parliamentary seats in March general elections but lost its traditional two-thirds majority for the first time in 40 years.

Mahathir has blamed Abdullah for the setback, calling him a weak leader who promoted nepotism and corruption and lacked the competence to tackle public grievances over rising crime and racial disputes.

The 82-year-old Mahathir quit the ruling party Monday and urged others to follow, saying they could come back if Abdullah bows out. While some of Mahathir's family members and longtime loyalists have joined him, most prominent figures have so far shunned his call.

Mahathir's proposal Wednesday revives the specter of large-scale defections among lawmakers _ a fear that emerged after opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim recently claimed he had at least 30 National Front legislators who were willing to cross over and topple the government.

"If the National Front replaces Abdullah with a more courageous person, then those who have left the National Front can resume their support so that the National Front can form the government again," Mahathir wrote.

The prime minister has insisted he will not step down anytime soon, but Mahathir's campaign has made the ruling party anxious to stem a potential hemorrhage of members.

Abdullah met Malay party lawmakers Tuesday to secure their support and was slated to chair a special meeting of the party's decision-making council late Wednesday to discuss the crisis. (By SEAN YOONG/ AP)

Comments (19)

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written by chanatak, May 21, 2008 16:12:45

temporary defect??? After cannot get readmitted then how -ah?

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written by billykbk, May 21, 2008 16:21:00

I struggling to find suitable adjectives to describe this old man....silly, egoistic, obstinate, egocentric, authoritarian, insane, senile....Aiya, forget about him la!!!

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written by alpha100, May 21, 2008 16:21:18

pity TDM! its going to be a sad ending for him! a result of his own doing! he begs and only those with nothing to lose may listen!

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written by billykbk, May 21, 2008 16:21:31

sorry...I'm struggling...

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written by miwaki, May 21, 2008 16:25:21

Mahathir will be a lonely man as BN MPs are not going to resign from BN just for the sake of Mahathir.This man does not understand his own party and his owm people.Money and power are more important than anything in this world so what is Mahathir anyway.In order to convince UMNO MPs to leave ABB or anybody,Mahathir should did it while he was in power and not after he had step down as Prime Minister of Malaysia.

MPs from UMNO will stick with Pak Lah like glue because a weak and incompetent PM will guarantee easy lives and less stress as ones can do what he likes without any repercussion.Noe only UMNO will support Pak Lah,all component parties laders who are themselves weak and incompetent will love Pak Lah and stand behind him no matter what ! Only competent MPs who are rigteous will contemplate leaving BN but can you find any at the moment ?

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written by joeawk, May 21, 2008 17:13:20

Why should they heed his call. Most of the MPs are quietly gleeful that he has resigned. In the MPs' heart, theuy arte say " good riddance to the tyrant".

Mahatir still thinks the world about himself, such self illusion for a tyrant, just too bad. He certainy sucks big time.

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written by Kopi37, May 21, 2008 17:15:02

He must be mad, seriously out of his mind and has become insane!

He is acting in such abnormal way and perhaps it's a symptom that his days are numbered! Poor TDM, now you realize how bitter when you are being played from the back by those once have been your stooges and goons now turned their ass on you!

Confess now and perhaps God can save you!................

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written by justice4all, May 21, 2008 17:33:01

Isn't this inciting people with the intention of causing strife and attempting to bring down the Government of the day? Shouldn't The Sedition Act be readily applicable in this case? Make a point of law and you have the whole weight of UMNO and the Police on you. Make speeches about the Malays losing political power and these same people hold their balls and keep quiet. Malaysia is already the laughing stock of the world> Can these UMNO idiots please take their fingers out of their arses and start tackling the economic crisis looming large in front of us?

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written by chiongguo, May 21, 2008 17:46:22

Doesn't this old fart realise that if enough of these law makers resigned it is not Badawi who will be brought down but the entire BN government. When the current government no longer enjoys the support of the majority, in the opinion of the Agung, he could appoint another.

This is nothing but a political game of chicken - who will blink first ? Or Mahathir call be royally ignored ?

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written by malsia1206, May 21, 2008 17:53:58

Read TDM's call to UMNO's MPs between the lines. The dangling carrot is for those UMNO MPs who resign from the party now would reap their rewards later. If Badawi is forced to step down with a flood of resignation, TDM would re-surface to place his nominee in as Party President. Then these "resigned" MPs would be offered Menteris posts in the Federal Cabinet. The sweetener is all the more attractive as TDM wants to regain back his dominance and influence in UMNO. You can call it the back-door listing like in Bursa KL. Hey guys, Menteri posts in the Federal Cabinet. Any Taker(s)?

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written by uncleleow, May 21, 2008 18:12:16

"Temporarily Defect" is a joke.
I cabar you make it Permanent Defect.

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written by Jan, May 21, 2008 18:31:26

Tun, I don't think that's a very nice thing to do in fact very ungentleman like.
Think about it would any MPs riding the gravy train get off for you?

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written by alienz, May 21, 2008 19:14:53

Now that he is no more a house tenant, he can bark all he like and we can ignore him. He has forfeit his right to advise or complaint - no more and good riddance I say... go have a heart attack ol' *****-mengaku-melayu goat!

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written by mikewang, May 21, 2008 19:38:56

If AAB's government falls, there is every likelihood that the King may not ask BN to form the next government.

If that happens, we could see a total collapse of BN.

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written by MsLim, May 21, 2008 19:54:44

Hello TDM, Who will listen to you now. You no longer hold the horse's reins

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written by fireduck, May 21, 2008 22:10:35

I respected TDM for what he has done for Malaysia. I believe he did a hell of a lot to put us on the world map.

But lately, my respect for him is diminished. And this will probably make me lose all respect for him. How can he ever think of such a thing as 'temporarily defect'. It is ridiculous! It is downright insulting to the rakyat. In fact some of us are not so keen on Anwar's wooing the BN MPs to defect to the PR, but at least we are not talking about 'temporarily defect'. We are talking about resigning from the BN and be able to subscribe to the PR (i.e. the RAKYAT's) agenda.

This temporary defection is bullsh*t. The MPs that do it will be and should be forever condemned into oblivion. It is pure greediness and opportunistic and it shows no principles in the man or woman who does so.

In fact, it is akin to a coup, if the defection is temporary and designed just to topple the leader.

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written by Fernz, May 21, 2008 23:43:44

Half of the Umno MPs, led by Badawi, should get
together with PR and form the Federal Government.

http://fernzjoefernandez.blogspot.com

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written by carlitos, May 22, 2008 07:02:46

Lompat kah semua. Lepas tu gerenti ramai yang "malas" lompat balik



Pakatan Rakyat ada bina banyak rumah teres, Tak guna tinggal dekat tandas. Bagus setiap orang dapat rumah teres. Kan bagus Pakatan rakyat?

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written by OrdinaryMan, May 22, 2008 09:27:38

Possible scenerio:

All Mahathir's goons and cronies resign.
UMNO adopts new and more acceptable outlook and policies.
UMNO becomes relevant again.

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