2006 UMNO GENERAL ASSEMBLY: ABDULLAH OVER MAHATHIR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KUALA LUMPUR 002147

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL MY
SUBJECT: 2006 UMNO GENERAL ASSEMBLY: ABDULLAH OVER MAHATHIR

REF: KUALA LUMPUR 1779

Classified By: Political Section Chief Mark D. Clark for
reasons 1.4 (b, d).


1. (C) Summary: The United Malays National Organization's (UMNO) General Assembly marked Prime Minister's Abdullah consolidation of power within UMNO and the clear political defeat of his predecessor Mahathir Mohamad after months of public attacks by Mahathir. Mahathir did not attend the assembly due to timely health reasons, but he remained the elephant in the room that everyone knew was there but no one wanted to mention. A week prior to the assembly, Mahathir suffered from a "minor heart attack" and later refused to see a visiting Abdullah. Prior to the assembly, Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi declared he would not be a one-term prime minister and threatened the party leadership not to take him for granted. A local editor claimed Abdullah is trying to build a new cult of personality, as Abdullah evoked comparisons to himself and the Prophet Mohammed. Mukhriz Mahathir assumed his father's role as Abdullah's chief critic at the assembly, but faced a political backlash for his disloyalty to the party leader. This is the first in a series of reports covering the 57th UMNO General Assembly which was held in Kuala Lumpur, November 13-17. End Summary.

Mahathir avoids the dance
--------------


2. (C) Less than a week before the convocation of the UMNO General Assembly, former prime minister Mahathir Mohamed admitted himself to the National Heart Institute with complaints of chest pains. Deemed to have suffered from a "minor heart attack", Mahathir remained hospitalized until November 14, one day prior to Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's opening of the 2006 UMNO General Assembly. Conveniently, Mahathir's health provided an excellent excuse not to attend the assembly and face a possibly hostile reception with little or no opportunity to present his own criticism of Abdullah. Given Abdullah's control over the party and its rules of order, the Prime Minister was certain to use the the assembly to reaffirm his position of leadership. Mahathir's loss as a party delegate in his long-time constituency of Kubang Paso in September (ref A),in the face of strong machine politics, was evidence enough that he no longer controlled the party he once led for 22 years.


3. (SBU) A survivor of heart bypass surgery in 1989, Mahathir's "faulty ticker" created an unassailable and face-saving excuse not to attend the assembly he fought so hard to crash. However, his hospitalization did not bring any semblance of death-bed forgiveness or reconciliation. The day after his admission to the hospital, Abdullah paid a visit to the hospital to greet his predecessor, only to be shooed away by doctors and advised that Mahathir could not see Abdullah as he was sleeping and was not able to have visitors. Mahathir was not going to attend the assembly, but he was not about to reconcile his differences with Abdullah either.

"I am not a one-term prime minister"
--------------


4. (SBU) In the run-up to the assembly, Abdullah gave an exclusive interview to an UMNO-linked newspaper, Utusan Malaysia, which headlined Abdullah's declaration: "I am not a one-term prime minister." Dispelling rumors that he would not seek a second term, or conjecture that Mahathir's attacks had weakened his resolve, Abdullah went on to say, "I will not run away. I am here to stay. I have long term plans and I will ensure that these plans are implemented." Abdullah acknowledged that Mahathir's attacks were "no longer about the bridge or his other projects. He has begun a total fight against me and the government." In a closed door meeting with party leaders the following day, Abdullah advised party officials that it was becoming increasingly difficult to be nice, but warned that he could certainly be otherwise if pushed too far. As one attendee remarked, "Abdullah's main message was 'don't take me for granted.' He showed us he was firmly in control."

Najib sets the tone for the assembly
--------------


5. (U) Opening the early sessions of the General Assembly for UMNO Wanita (Women),Puteri (Young Women) and Pemuda (Youth),Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy President of UMNO, Najib Tun Razak, declared the policy that would preside throughout the entire assembly: "The tradition in UMNO has been the complete loyalty to our leaders. We must be united behind Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, our party President and Prime Minister." Najib praised Malaysia's past leaders, but warned "there is great apprehension when the leaders we cherish begin to squabble. And the worry increases when the opposition tries to take advantage. . .Quarrels will only lead to disunity." While never mentioning Mahathir by name, Najib made it clear that past leaders would always be honored and revered, but "disunity" would not be tolerated. Four days later his closing remarks Najib reiterated the party's undivided support for Abdullah in a traditional Malay poem: ". . .This is Pak Lah's era . . .our country he has changed; our religion he has honored, our race he has defended. . .We give him our support. . .in the name of religion, race and country."

Building a cult of personality
--------------


6. (C) In what one prominent news paper editor privately
called "the beginning of his own cult of personality,"
Abdullah orchestrated his entrance into the grand assembly
hall as a prophet coming to address his people. As Abdullah
entered the hall, the audience began singing a well-known
Muslim hymn commemorating the Prophet Mohammed's entrance
into Medina. Privately, local journalists and some
Middle-eastern diplomats were astonished and somewhat
offended that Abdullah would equate himself with the Prophet,
though newspapers failed to report his entrance procession.


7. (C) Equally telling were the verses Abdullah had recited
from the Holy Quran before delivering his key-note address.
The readings were from Surah 49. Al-Hujurat, verses 6 - 13,
and carried a clear message that UMNO attendees should
reject Mahathir and embrace Abdullah. "O you who believe!
If an evil person comes to you with any news, verify it, lest
you should harm people in ignorance. . . And if two parties
among the believers fall to fighting, then make peace between
them both. But if one of the outrages against the other,
then fight you all against the one which outrages till it
complies with the command of Allah. . .Let not a group scoff
an another group, it may be that the latter are better than
the former. . .Nor defame one another, nor insult one another
by nicknames. How bad is it to insult one's brother after
having faith. And whosoever does not repent, then such are
indeed the wrong-doers." The readings from the Holy Quran
lasted nearly 20 minutes, and it was commonly heard uttered
among visitors and the media that not even PAS (Malaysia's
conservative Islamic opposition party) read that many verses
at their annual meeting or dared compare their leader with
the Prophet.

Abdullah wishes Mahathir a speedy recovery
--------------


8. (SBU) The subtle use of the Quranic verses aside, press
reports all applauded Abdullah for "avoiding any mention" of
Mahathir. Many had expected Abdullah to launch a few veiled
salvos at Mahathir, but what they heard were the soft words
of their Prime Minister urging the attendees to "pray to the
Almighty so that Tun Dr. Mahathir has a speedy recovery. Let
us also pray that Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah (Mahathir's wife) and
members of her family be given the strength and patience to
see through this difficult period."

The son carries on the fight
--------------


9. (C) Just the day before Abdullah's speech, Mahathir had
received a long ovation from the UMNO Youth delegates when it
was mentioned he had that day returned home from the
hospital. Moreover, Mahathir's absence did not ensure the
assembly avoided the fracas he had long ago begun. Standing
in as his father's proxy, Mukhriz Mahathir was quick to
criticize Abdullah's performance. Echoing what many others
mumbled but no others dared utter, Mukhriz called Abdullah's
key-note address disappointing. "I think it's an address he
delivered last year. I was hoping for something new.
Perhaps he has other ideas," Mukhriz told reporters.
(Abdullah's keynote speech will be reported septel.)


10. (C) Mukhriz's comments brought quick rebukes from UMNO
Youth President Hishamuddin Tun Hussein and threats that
Mukhriz risked being expelled from the UMNO Youth Executive
Committee. However, no one took the threats seriously, and
many continue to speculate that the 42 year old Mukhriz will
run for one of the 25 positions on the UMNO Executive
Committee during the next election cycle, guaranteeing his
name will remain in the lime-light, and ensuring his father's
issues with Abdullah do not merely fade away.

Comment
--------------


11. (C) The UMNO General Assembly demonstrated Abdullah's
consolidation of his party power base and signified defeat
for Mahathir's attempt to bring Abdullah's leadership to an
early end. Abdullah made it clear that pretenders would not
be welcome if they tried to unseat him before he was ready to
step down, and DPM Najib responded dutifully as the head
cheerleader. Mahathir's absence from the assembly was
convenient, if not well planned, and prevented any rumors or
threats of a division within Malaysia's dominant political
party. Mahathir's criticisms of the current administration
will not quickly fade away, and will still attract tremendous
interest from the public at large, but it is apparent they
will have less traction after Abdullah's successful defense
and consolidation of his own authority as leader of
Malaysia's dominant political party.
LAFLEUR