Ku Li: Banana Circus

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26 - The prime minister and his deputy are turning Malaysia into a banana republic and a laughing stock, according to Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

In a press statement on the outcome of today's emergency Umno Supreme Council meeting, he called Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi and his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Razak "two grown men playing this endless children's game of 'yours and mine' with the most important responsibility in the land, oblivious of the law, oblivious to the damage they are doing to the nation."

The Kelantanese prince said that it appeared that their political careers appeared to be more important than the future of the nation.

"Instead of a national economic plan or any kind of reform, all the Umno leadership has only given us since March 8 is a transition plan designed to save two individuals from the inconvenience of facing elections," he said.

Razaleigh has also been critical of the original mid-2010 pact between Abdullah and Najib, calling it a "fantasy which rides roughshod over the party's constitution and the rights of its members."

The former finance minister has declared his intentions to challenge for the party presidency but doubts continue over his ability to garner the required 58 nominations to be eligible to contest the top post.

Razaleigh is scheduled to speak further on this matter in a press conference tomorrow.

-TMI