NURUL confirms S'pore launching CANCELLED as Umno hysteria rises over book on Pak Lah

KUALA LUMPUR - Opposition Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai Nurul Izzah, due to officiate at the Singapore launching of the red-hot new book on former premier Abdullah Badawi, has confirmed the event has been cancelled for now.

"Yes, it has been axed," Nurul, the daughter of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, told Malaysia Chronicle.

When asked if she was disappointed at the cancellation, Nurul offered a 'diplomatic' response.

"I leave it to the editors (of the book Awakening: The Abdullah Badawi Years). However, I believe at the least, all the brouhaha has stimulated interest in an academic piece of work and for that alone, everyone should celebrate."

Nurul, who is one of the most recognized and popular faces in Malaysia, declined to furnish further details.

Brouhaha may have forced the postponement of the Umno election

But given the widespread public belief that Nurul is among those with the highest potential to become a future prime minister, it is not surprising that many Umno bigwigs have vociferously objected to her launching the book on Badawi (who is also known as Pak Lah).

In particular, supporters of former premier Mahathir Mohamad have been vocal in the blogs and social media about Nurul officiating at the book launch. Mahathir has often been accused of trying to bag the top seat for son Mukhriz.

Warranted or not, the heated objection from Umno quarters come despite the editors - Bridget Welsh and James Chin - explaining the book is not a biography but a compilation of 35 essays.

The fuss kicked up has even forced the postponement of the book's launching in Kuala Lumpur. Awakening became controversial due to the stinging criticism that the usually mild-mannered Badawi had leveled at Mahathir in one of the sections.

Power brokers in Umno are not only shocked at how Badawi exposed Mahathir but are also worried about the impact on their party elections due to be held in October.

Umno watchers say it may not be coincidental that embattled Prime Minister Najib Razak, who faces a major dilution of his power over the party, has suddenly announced the postponement of the party polls to October 19. This is one of the latest dates he can delay the election to. Some 150,000 Umno delegates were previously scheduled to vote in a new central leadership on October 5.

Interfering, hints of corruption?

Badawi's most-controversial comments in the book related to how Mahathir had tried to hammer through mega-projects despite no longer being in power and how such a spending spree could have bankrupted Malaysia, which is already struggling with record-high national debt.

Badawi recounted how he went to see Mahathir to explain that he had to postpone several projects, including the double-tracking rail system that the latter had initiated because of the bulging budget deficit.

“He, however, disagreed with me as he felt the government should continue to spend. But how do we do it when the deficit was at such critical levels? It would be highly irresponsible for me to continue spending," said Badawi, who took over as PM from Mahathir in 2003.

“So we had no choice but to reduce the deficit by postponing some of the mega-projects like double tracking and this made Mahathir furious. I suppose he viewed them as his pet projects.

“Can you imagine, if I had succumbed to Mahathir’s continued pressure to spend when the deficit was already so high, how could Malaysia have weathered the oil and financial crisis which subsequently came in 2008?

“The deficit which we brought down to 3.2 percent crept up again due to subsidies for oil and essentials and hovered again at the 5 percent level. If we had not been prudent then, continued to spend, I can tell you we would be bankrupt by now."

Malaysia Chronicle