ABDULLAH WOULD NOT STEP DOWN

UMNO President Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi vowed that he would not step down as demanded by former UMNO president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, instead continue leading the party.

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also Prime Minister of Malaysia, was nevertheless confident that there would not be a mass exodus of party members following former Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's lead.

"I was surprised that he resigned and does not want to be in UMNO anymore, I had never thought that he would actually take the step to leave the party."

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi conceded that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's decision would "weaken the party to an extent" but he did not expect any of the ruling party's lawmakers to quit.

“Mahathir is a popular leader and there will be some impact from him quitting the party. But I don’t foresee many party leaders following his footsteps."

"If the members love UMNO, they won’t leave the party. I didn’t quit the party despite all the difficulties I went through.” Asked whether he would step down to take responsibility for disastrous results in March 8 elections, he replied: "Why should I? I still have a lot of work to do."

"The important thing is that UMNO has to remain calm and understand that its members have to be loyal to the party and be strong and continue to carry out the struggle."

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi also ruled out meeting Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to ask him to reconsider his decision. “He has clearly thought this through and there is no need to meet him on this.” However, he expects the matter to be discussed at the party’s next supreme council meeting.