Pak Lah 2003 - 2009.

He resigned as Prime Minister of Malaysia on 2nd April 2009. When he took over from Dr Mahathir in 2003, I had very high hope of him and I eagerly waited for reformation. The most appropriate man as Prime Minister, the son of an Ulamak and one Politician who was seen to be very clean and scandal free. My top priority, I wanted him to eradicate corruption and abolish money politic within the ruling party. In the 2004 general election I gave him my vote, so as majority of Malaysians and the Opposition parties was badly thrased. He even got back Trengganu from PAS. As time went by, the Mr. Clean Man was not everybody as expected. In the 2008 election, the ruling party was trounced in Peninsular Malaysia. It was Sabah and Sarawak that salvage the ruling party back to power but losing the 2/3 majority in Parliament. The ruling party failed to capture Kelantan and adding salt to the injury, they lost four states to the Opposition. They lost their gold mines, Selangor, Perak and Penang. Most fingers were pointed at Pak Lah even his close allies. The most bitter was Dr Mahathir and the old man resigned from being a party member.

Pak Lah as I see it. My personal opinion.

1) Was too weak compared to his predecessor. Unlike Dr.Mahathir who was very smart in tackling potential problems. Mahathir never gave face to the Oppositions and even to component parties within the ruling government. He either told them to shut up or shoo them away. Pak Lah gave a lot of lee way to the people surrounding him.


2) KJ factor. Khairy Jamaluddin is Pak Lah son in law. He parachuted into UMNO, not starting from the grass root and overnight he became the Youth Deputy uncontested. Anyway, who dare to contest against the PM son in law if you want to be in the good book of the PM? KJ is arrogant who wanted to be the youngest PM of Malaysia. Mahathir branded KJ as the 4th.Floor Man who did all the decisions for Pak Lah, the Prime Minister. KJ was given a Parliamentary seat to contest during the 2008 General Election and he won. That made plenty of blood pressure shooting up, including me of course. KJ was mostly blamed for the terrible loss of UMNO as he was alleged to be the mastermind of choosing the candidates to stand for the general election.


3) Hindraf. This organization wanted to petition to the Queen of England. So be it, let them go. The Police came into the picture and water canon was sprayed to the demonstrators. The Leaders were detained under the Internal Security Act, detention without trial. This angered the Indian community and they solidly turned their back at the ruling government during the 2008 general election. Malaysian Indian Congress Party paid a heavy loss including the long time President.


4) Anwar Ibrahim. Pak Lah should hold the election after Anwar was eligible to stand for election. Anwar was unable to participate therefore he got all the time in the world to go round Malaysia and campaign for the Oppositions. If Anwar was allowed to participate, he would have only concentrat at his own constituency. I don’t blame Anwar because he had an axe to grind against the ruling party whose Leader once sacked him as Deputy Prime Minister. He was so near but yet so far. He suffered his fate six years in jail. Who would not be vindictive?


5) Islam Hadhari. Personally it was the first time I heard the word hadhari. Only President Bush and UMNO Ulamaks subscribe to Islam Hadhari. Tolerant and civilization. This Islam Hadhari concept was not well receipt by Malaysian Muslims. Maybe the idea was good but the word after Islam that make a lot of Malaysian Muslim confused. The Islam they know is the one that they were taught since they were born and no such thing as Islam dot dot dot. Since Pak Lah was the son of an Ulamak that make people got more confused and suspicious as if Pak Lah was introducing a new religion. A new branch of religion made by Pak Lah.


8) Corruption & money Politic. It became rampant and too obvious. Actions only taken at small fishes while the big one loose free. Some Politicians even built an Istana and no action taken. With this Istana, the ruling government lost the state of Selangor. Malaysians are no more stupid. Even KJ, Pak Lah son in law was found abetting to money politic but KJ just got a warning. The Malaysians are seeing that the ruling government under Pak Lah was not serious in combating corruption and money politic.


Whatever, Pak Lah created several records as Prime Minister of Malaysia. He was the first Prime Minister whose wife passed away while he was the PM and not long after the first PM to get married in office. He was also the Prime Minister who got the biggest majority in any general election (2004) and the least in any election (2008).

Pak Lah…..thank you for freeing Anwar Ibrahim.

Happy Retirement, Pak Lah.