Pak Lah Better Pm For Coalition Govt Than Anwar

---

YOURSAY | 'Next to Anwar, Pak Lah showed less ketuanan tendencies.'
Ex-PM Abdullah Badawi dies at 85
JWKK3: The best way to assess deceased former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as PM is to make comparisons and use a bit of hindsight.
Comparing him to Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Abdullah hardly showed his bigotry. He did not have to act the way Mahathir did, to be more Malay than Malays.
Despite winning his term as PM with a huge majority (in 2004), he did not let it go to his head by, say, emboldening any corruption tendencies in him.
That is, he was a far cry from jailed former PM Najib Abdul Razak - the man born with a golden spoon and ended up as the world-famous “klepto”.
Next to current PM Anwar Ibrahim, Abdullah showed less “ketuanan” (supremacy) tendencies. While he had his Islam Hadhari, he never came across wearing Islam on his sleeves, unlike Anwar.
He was far more focused on doing well for all Malaysians, unlike Anwar who, in addition to Islamic focus at home in Malaysia, seeks to be a hero on the world stage, leading some to label him, frustratingly, PM of Palestine.
Abdullah was more a PM for a unity government than Anwar has proven so far. And he showed more integrity than Mahathir, Najib and even Anwar thus far.
Outside of being a PM, Abdullah came across as a decent man, one with humility and grace.
I believe the large number of people who voted for him, including non-Malays, to give him a large majority in winning the election that forestalled him as PM, was a testament to his decency, humility and grace.
Such human characteristics could also be found in former US president Jimmy Carter. But such characteristics are unfortunately considered frailties in today’s high-level politics. A shame.
In the end, it is the quiet Abdullah’s integrity as PM and decency as a human being that will find a way into Malaysia’s history.
COMMENT | In death, Pak Lah stirs old sorrows and nation's reflection
Salvage Malaysia: I consider the late Pak Lah as the true “Bapa Reformasi and Perpaduan (Father of Reform and Unity)”.
He really wanted the nation to be united living in a country where the system has high integrity. A tall order but he tried his best.
Traveloka WINNING: One notable point that former law minister Zaid Ibrahim raises is the influence of the deep state; it’s so powerful that it defeats even the PM with the highest mandate from the people.
Especially if the PM is a nice guy like Pak Lah. To stand a chance against the deep state, you need a strong man like US President Donald Trump and a capable sidekick like billionaire Elon Musk.
But, is such a combo good for the country in the long run? A strong man would seek to abolish all checks and balances, bend everyone to his will and become a de facto dictator (not a distant possibility even for the US).
True, he might do some good initially by dismantling the deep state that everyone loathes, but the price is that you have the rise of a dictator.
History is littered with examples of extraordinarily capable people with extraordinary vision for the country who did an extraordinary amount of damage to the country or even the world.
Steven Ong: Pak Lah exposed the “evil and wicked” in Malaysia. Being right and good is not welcomed by the people taught and trained to blindly support the evil and wicked ones who use the people for their own benefit and pleasure.
He died an unhappy man and Malaysia continues on its destructive path by the racists and religious bigots.
Anon.ymous: Thank you for the wonderful tribute to Pak Lah, Zaid. Having been handpicked by him to be the law minister and worked alongside him, you would know the man more than any of us ordinary citizens will.
If anything, we remember Pak Lah as the PM who was continuously ridiculed by his predecessor because he (Pak Lah) did not submit to his wishes.
Hats off for standing by your principles when you resigned in the dignified manner you did. Perhaps, there is still time for us who are in our 60s to see real change in this beloved nation of ours with leaders like you, PKR’s Hassan Abdul Karim, Muda’s Syed Saddiq Syed Abdui Rahman and other like-minded politicians. Don’t give up the fight! -Mkini

---