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Coffeeshop Chit Chat - Dr M warns PAP...</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right>
Subscribe </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>kojakbt22 <NOBR>
</NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>7:40 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 4) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>20860.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD>BN risks being dumped: Mahathir
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : end --></TD></TR><TR><TD>He says coalition must shape up or it will go the way of Japan's LDP </TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- Author --></TD></TR><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Carolyn Hong, Malaysia Bureau Chief
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- show image if available --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->KUALA LUMPUR: Former premier Mahathir Mohamad warned that the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition risks being dumped into the 'rubbish heap of history' in the next general election unless it makes drastic changes.
The 84-year-old wrote in his blog that time was running short for the BN as the next general election is only three years away.
'Unless some drastic change is shown in the way the country is run and the people are served, the BN will join the other grand old party in the rubbish heap of history,' he wrote, referring to the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP) that was trounced in elections last month.
Dr Mahathir said many political parties that achieved independence for their country - like the Mashumi Party of Indonesia and Muslim League of Pakistan - have all but disappeared.
He said that while people are ungrateful, the former independence fighters had also become greedy and arrogant.
'They no longer care for the country or the people. They are almost invariably preoccupied with their status and their selfish needs,' he said.
He said Umno and BN could share the same fate going by its present showing.
The BN is still struggling to win back voters after last year's March general election when it suffered a serious trouncing.
It lost seven of eight by-elections held in the last 17 months. The ninth by-election will be held soon in Negeri Sembilan after an Umno assemblyman died.
But Umno is in a tussle over the choice of candidate - a powerful warlord wants to contest despite having been found guilty of money politics four years ago.
Critics have noted that if Umno fielded Mr Isa Samad because of his popularity on the ground, it would be sending a signal that the party is unable to reform.
Umno remains unable to win the hearts of non-Malay voters as its grassroots leaders repeatedly launch racial tirades against the minorities.
Umno's biggest partners - the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) - are also both embroiled in power struggles.
MCA's deputy president Chua Soi Lek was recently sacked, and is now waging war with party president Ong Tee Keat.
MIC president S. Samy Vellu is lobbying to fill top positions in the party with his allies as it holds its elections this weekend. Mr Samy is, however, disliked by the Indian community, and can do little to win back votes.
Dr Mahathir said these power struggles have emasculated BN leaders, and 'the rot has set in'.
'With such leaders, the country and the people have been neglected. It is strange to find that Malaysia has been outstripped by its neighbours. It is no longer the leading nation in the region,' he said.
He said the only thing that would save the BN is the lacklustre performance of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR).
PR is also under internal stress as its disparate partners struggle to work together and to set aside ideological differences. But repeated surveys have shown that despite this, PR still commands the votes of the minorities, and just under half the Malay votes.
'The alternative is not a real alternative. But if the performance of the BN government and parties fails to gain confidence, the frustrated voters might just do what the Japanese voters did - dump the party they had supported for more than half a century,' wrote Dr Mahathir.
As part of efforts to improve the party, Umno yesterday abolished its quota system for candidates who want to contest for top posts. Critics have said the system blocks challenges from young leaders because a challenger must first get widespread support from its 191 divisions because he could hope to oust a senior leader.
[email protected]
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : end --></TD></TR><TR><TD>He says coalition must shape up or it will go the way of Japan's LDP </TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- Author --></TD></TR><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Carolyn Hong, Malaysia Bureau Chief
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- show image if available --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->KUALA LUMPUR: Former premier Mahathir Mohamad warned that the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition risks being dumped into the 'rubbish heap of history' in the next general election unless it makes drastic changes.
The 84-year-old wrote in his blog that time was running short for the BN as the next general election is only three years away.
'Unless some drastic change is shown in the way the country is run and the people are served, the BN will join the other grand old party in the rubbish heap of history,' he wrote, referring to the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP) that was trounced in elections last month.
Dr Mahathir said many political parties that achieved independence for their country - like the Mashumi Party of Indonesia and Muslim League of Pakistan - have all but disappeared.
He said that while people are ungrateful, the former independence fighters had also become greedy and arrogant.
'They no longer care for the country or the people. They are almost invariably preoccupied with their status and their selfish needs,' he said.
He said Umno and BN could share the same fate going by its present showing.
The BN is still struggling to win back voters after last year's March general election when it suffered a serious trouncing.
It lost seven of eight by-elections held in the last 17 months. The ninth by-election will be held soon in Negeri Sembilan after an Umno assemblyman died.
But Umno is in a tussle over the choice of candidate - a powerful warlord wants to contest despite having been found guilty of money politics four years ago.
Critics have noted that if Umno fielded Mr Isa Samad because of his popularity on the ground, it would be sending a signal that the party is unable to reform.
Umno remains unable to win the hearts of non-Malay voters as its grassroots leaders repeatedly launch racial tirades against the minorities.
Umno's biggest partners - the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) - are also both embroiled in power struggles.
MCA's deputy president Chua Soi Lek was recently sacked, and is now waging war with party president Ong Tee Keat.
MIC president S. Samy Vellu is lobbying to fill top positions in the party with his allies as it holds its elections this weekend. Mr Samy is, however, disliked by the Indian community, and can do little to win back votes.
Dr Mahathir said these power struggles have emasculated BN leaders, and 'the rot has set in'.
'With such leaders, the country and the people have been neglected. It is strange to find that Malaysia has been outstripped by its neighbours. It is no longer the leading nation in the region,' he said.
He said the only thing that would save the BN is the lacklustre performance of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR).
PR is also under internal stress as its disparate partners struggle to work together and to set aside ideological differences. But repeated surveys have shown that despite this, PR still commands the votes of the minorities, and just under half the Malay votes.
'The alternative is not a real alternative. But if the performance of the BN government and parties fails to gain confidence, the frustrated voters might just do what the Japanese voters did - dump the party they had supported for more than half a century,' wrote Dr Mahathir.
As part of efforts to improve the party, Umno yesterday abolished its quota system for candidates who want to contest for top posts. Critics have said the system blocks challenges from young leaders because a challenger must first get widespread support from its 191 divisions because he could hope to oust a senior leader.
[email protected]
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