COLLECTIVE POLITICAL RESPONSIBILITY, NOT ABDULLAH ALONE!

Malaysia's ruling coalition has kept its majority but suffered significant losses in the general election. From either macro or micro political aspect, it should be a 'political collective responsibility', not Abdullah alone.

Ironically, the BN coalition, led by Abdullah as the leader of the main ethnic Malay-based component party Umno, give a full support to him to led the government.

Senior Umno leaders too stood behind the prime minister yesterday, slamming Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir's call for Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to resign as a move that could weaken the party in its moment of distress.

Logically, the controversial school of thought only Abdullah resigning as prime minister and Umno president can the recovery of Umno seems to be not in the right path now as the political dust yet to be settled. For the sake of political stability, all parties should avoid political grandstanding and emotive outbursts.

Malaysia ruling coalition Barisan Nasional BN failed to obtain 2/3 majorities, which is 148 seats in 2008 General Election. It only won the simple majority of 139 out of 222 parliamentary seats and lost 82 seats to opposition.

The opposition (DAP, PAS and PKR) has taken 5 states - Penang, Kedah, Selangor, Perak and Kelantan. However, MIC, GERAKAN, PPP suffered heavy losses. The second bigest UMNO partner MCA only won 15 of the 40 parliamentary seats it contested.

Mukhriz, son of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed, an executive committee member of the UMNO Youth movement wrote a letter asked Abdullah "to do what is appropriate" following the Barisan Nasional's coalition suffering a humiliating general election result.

"I appeal to you to take responsibility for the defeat. Only by your resigning as prime minister and Umno president can the recovery of Umno, BN and the nation be accomplished successfully," he wrote, echoing his father's statements last Sunday.