I guess we're bankrupt now, Dr M tells Pak Lah

Fifth prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's silence in the face of insults by his predecessor Dr Mahathir Mohamad had made him Mahathir's punching bag during his premiership. 

But when Abdullah finally responded, in an interview with editors of a recently released book on his years as prime minister, Malaysians spared the spectacle of Pak Lah's public whipping since he stepped down in 2008 may now wonder: how is Mahathir taking it?

Having side-stepped reporters on the matter last week, Mahathir (right) was spared on this subject again today, with the organisers of a conference on Palestine insisting that reporters stick to the conference topic.

Asked about Abdullah's claim that he is a contradictory leader who would have led Malaysia to bankruptcy, Mahathir shot back, snidely: "Sorry lah, bankrap dah(I'm sorry, I guess we're bankrupt now)."

The organisers' strictness in not allowing questions unrelated to Palestine also gave Mahathir room to throw one-liners on other issues. 

On Proton's deputy CEO: He's not working in Palestine. Are you suggesting that he is working there?

On Malaysia Airlines: Does MAS go to Palestine?

On Umno polls: Umno members are not in Palestine. If they want to go to Palestine, then I can answer.

Following this trend, former inspector-general of police Norian Mai, when approached by Malaysiakini, also declined to comment on whether the lack of preventive laws was hindering police work. 

"Many people have said lots of things already," Norian said.

Norian is is chairman of the Perdana Global Peace Foundation, an anti-war NGO founded by Mahathir, which focuses a lot of its efforts on the Palestinian cause.

'Arab Spring a bane for Palestine'

Today's conference at the Putra World Trade Centre brought together nine Malaysian NGOs working to assist Palestine through humanitarian or socio-economic aid. 

Also speaking at the conference was former Palestine diplomat to Malaysia Ahmad Al Farra and former Jerusalem minister of foreign affairs Hind Elias Murad Khori. 

According to Al Farra, there are three factors contributing to the Palestinan problem, which began in 1948 with the establishment of Israel. 

He said this included internal disunity between political entities Hamas and Fatah, both integral parts of the Palestinian resistance, Israeli disinterest in solving the issue and foreign intervention.

The unrest in the Middle East, Al Farra added, would also not bode well for the Palestinian cause as this meant that Palestine's Arab neighbours, including turmoil-ridden Syria, would not be able to unite against Israel.