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 newspaper 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 (November 2006)
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