UMNO vs Pak Lah?

I am concerned, after reading the letter written by Din Merican to Dr Bakri Musa which was posted on the latter's website here where in the following paragraph towards the end of the letter, he made a disturbing remark:-

" ... I am told from fairly reliable sources that there is apparently considerable pressure for Abdullah to step down before the next UMNO General Assembly in September 2006. May be they will gave him a face-saving way out, in the usual Asian tradition. They will ask him to step down and reward him with a Tunship together with a bundle of cash. That would definitely be cheaper considering the damage he has already inflicted on the economy. Look at the ringgit and the mounting losses in KLSE since he took office from his illustrious predecessor. It is not likely that the Prime Minister would give up power that easily since those close to him would be affected in the same way that Tun Mahathir’s supporters are now experiencing." (the bolded words are mine.)

Please read the full text of the letter on Dr Bakri's website for a clearer picture of the contents therein.

I wonder how bad the true situation is for Pak Lah given that there is now an insinuation that within the ranks of UMNO itself, there is a clear attempt to oust him.

Could this possibly happen?

My concern is this:- If Pak Lah indeed ended up being a one-term Prime Minister, is this good or bad news for Malaysians?

Personally, I am not hopeful that any other person who may currently be in the running for the post of PM in the event that Pak Lah does vacate his position would be a better deal for Malaysia.

Pak Lah, for all his weaknesses, had outlined the best agenda so far for all of us. The only thing lacking is his ability to implement them with the stamp of authority needed to push things through in this country.

I may not be a fan of Dr M but one thing I do admire about the old man is his determination to see through his plans, come what may. That man can move mountains if he so put his mind to it, never mind the fact that his modus operandi can sometimes be downright appalling. But you definitely won't see Dr M hee-hawing over any issue that crops up and casting a less than desirable impact on the image of the country and the government under his rule.

The reason why I think Din Merican's observation is pertinent revealed itself when Pak Lah finally came out in the open to deny Khairy's influence on his decision-making process.

You can read the press reports covered by all the English mainstream papers here.

And lo and behold, the very next day, UMNO information chief, Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib made a public statement that UMNO will back Pak Lah.

In the context of the above two public declarations, something tells me that Din Merican's statement is not to be taken lightly.

Yes, Dr M is back. And he has indicated in no uncertain terms that the game is still on.

Seeing that Pak Lah is keeping mum on the furore surrounding the UPM fracas and another display of open defiance by The Youth & Sports Minister Datuk Azalina Othman Said to go ahead with the proposed sports centre project in London despite public objections, he indeed has much on his plate to ponder on top of all the other troubling stuff that is steadily piling up.

Certainly, I'm not looking forward to what's coming next.