Hong Kong Standard
22nd January 2000

KUALA LUMPUR: A former arch-rival of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has called for changes in Malaysia's main political party, the latest sign of internal division in the organisation.

Mr Razaleigh Hamzah, a former finance minister, was quoted yesterday as saying Malay voters had sent a message to Dr Mahathir's United Malays National Organisation (Umno) in recent general elections that they wanted change.

``I believe Umno has to make changes which are tailored along the aspirations of the people, especially the Malays, who spoke through the ballot box,'' the New Straits Times quoted Mr Razaleigh as saying. He did not specify the changes.

``It is too bad if Umno does not realise this and chooses to ignore their views,'' The Sun newspaper quoted the 62-year-old prince from Kelantan's royal family as saying.

Umno led Dr Mahathir's Barisan Nasional coalition to victory in November's snap polls, but the party was routed in Kelantan and lost control of neighbouring Terengganu state while seeing its seats in the lower house of parliament fall from 94 to 72.

Umno's uninspired showing has been attributed to widespread dissatisfaction among Muslim Malays over the sacking and imprisonment of Dr Mahathir's former deputy, Mr Anwar Ibrahim, who has accused his 74-year-old ex-mentor of clinging to power too long.

Mr Razaleigh and former deputy prime minister Ghafar Baba have made headlines by criticising a decision by Umno's Supreme Council to recommend that Dr Mahathir and his deputy, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, be elected in May to the party's two top posts without opposition.

Mr Ghafar said earlier this week: ``That does not mean I don't like Mahathir and Dollah Badawi, but I love Umno more.''

``No harm if they continue to lead the party, but it is better if their leadership is endorsed by the members.''

Mr Razaleigh concurred. ``Under a democratic process, it is up to the grassroots to raise their voice on what needs to be done. We are not as important as them as the votes are in their hands,'' the New Straits Times quoted him as saying.

Most believe that even if they faced opposition, Mr Mahathir and Mr Abdullah would easily win any contest for Umno's presidency and deputy presidency at the general assembly in May.

But the Supreme Council's no-contest plea has not gone down well with some party members such as Mr Razaleigh, who say Umno needs open debate to learn from its performance at the polls.

Mr Lim Kit Siang, national chairman of the opposition Democratic Action Party, said Umno was trying to ostracise Mr Razaleigh and Mr Ghafar.

``Both of them are now being painted as two oldsters out of sync with Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the Umno Supreme Council's thinking,'' he said.

Mr Razaleigh is no stranger to controversy within Umno. He served as finance minister in Mr Mahathir's cabinet before launching a rebellion in 1987 that split the party.

He joined forces with several opposition parties in a failed attempt to topple Dr Mahathir in the 1990 general election. He returned to Umno in 1996, but has remained largely on the party's sidelines and was not included in Dr Mahathir's latest cabinet.

Mr Razaleigh, a former Umno vice-president, said he would wait and see before deciding whether to run in the party's leadership elections in May.

Mr Razaleigh's latest comments came amid speculation that he might seek a rapprochement with Anwar, who is serving a six-year jail term for corruption and standing trial on a sodomy charge.Reuters