KEPALA BATAS – The masterminds behind the movement in 2009 to oust Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi from his position as then Umno president have faced “kifarah” (retributions) for their misdeeds, says party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
In a ceremony held at Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) Kepala Batas to rename the school to MRSM Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Zahid recalled Abdullah’s “extraordinary level of patience” in facing calls for resignation from within the party.
“These individuals are still alive, but I have witnessed how those who have ill-treated Pak Lah have received these retributions,” said Zahid in his speech.
“I don’t intend to mock (anyone), as I will keep (my feelings) in my heart, but I would like to say this: don’t be cruel to anyone. Pak Lah was among those who were ill-treated by those political characters.
“Don’t wait for ‘padang masyhar’, (as) retributions have fallen upon you.”
While Zahid did not name the politicians, he appears to have made a veiled jab at Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and former prime minister and Umno president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for being the masterminds behind the internal plot within Umno to oust Abdullah, and the political setbacks that they faced in recent years.
Muhyiddin, who founded Bersatu after his expulsion from Umno in 2016, became the 7th prime minister in 2020 with the support of PAS and Barisan Nasional, following the Sheraton Move political manoeuvre led by him that toppled the then-Pakatan Harapan government.
However, his tenure was short-lived as he resigned from the position after just 18 months in power after he resigned in August 2021 following the retraction of support from Umno for his leadership.
Meanwhile, Mahathir, who was elected MP for Langkawi in 2018, failed to defend the parliamentary seat in the 2022 general elections, to the point of forfeiting his election deposits.
Additionally, Pejuang, the Malay party that he founded in 2020, has been struggling to make inroads in Malaysian politics.
In his speech, Zahid also paid tribute to Abdullah, fondly known as Pak Lah, for having supported his political career as he was elevated to Putrajaya in just 11 years after joining politics as a deputy minister under Abdullah’s administration, as well as being with Zahid during challenging times – especially during the time when he was berated by “the then-Umno president” in his speech delivered during the 1998 Umno general assembly for 70 minutes.
He recalled being comforted by Abdullah, then the party’s vice president, who told him: “Be patient, Zahid. I have faced this for three and a half years, and yet I patiently endured this.
“Insyallah, Zahid would know that if a gem has been defiled, but if you clean it, it will shine again. Those were Pak Lah’s words of encouragement to me.”
Zahid also said that while renaming the school is a small deed that he could do to honour Abdullah’s legacy, he promised to do more as an Umno president by elevating the party’s research unit into a think tank that will be named Institut Pemikiran Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, as well as organising a seminar on the former prime minister in a month.
The school renaming ceremony was also attended by the son of the late prime minister, Tan Sri Kamaluddin Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who thanked the government and Majlis Amanah Rakyat Malaysia (MARA) for honouring his father, who served as the MP of Kepala Batas for 39 years.
Kamaladdin, who was still grieving from his father’s passing on April 14 at the age of 85, also took the opportunity in reciting the poem that his father wrote, entitled “Ku Cari Damai Abadi”, which he said perfectly encapsulated Abdullah’s character as someone who has never sought to enrich himself, but someone who was devoted to his faith.
Also attending the ceremony were Mara chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki and Bertam assemblyman Datuk Seri Reezal Naina Merican, paying their tributes to Abdullah, who brought them into politics. – May 12, 2025