PM Abdullah’s Legacy
Abdullah's report card might be read differently in years to come, with many analysts and diplomats believing that history will take a kinder view of the bland premier.
By Leslie Lopez, The Straits Times
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi is scheduled to meet the King today to submit his resignation. The Straits Times takes a look at the legacy of a man who took office just over five years ago after his predecessor, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, stepped down on Oct 31, 2003.
But history may take a kinder view and look at him as Malaysia's Gorbachev
The harsh conclusion on outgoing Malaysian Premier Abdullah Badawi's legacy is that he will depart the political stage with very little to show.
On the economic front, his pledge to bring greater transparency to government never materialised and his lack of success in cutting red tape and tackle graft has undermined Malaysia's competitiveness as a regional investment centre.
The Abdullah-inspired blueprint to create growth clusters called corridors in strategic zones – such as the Iskandar development region in Johor – is still in its infancy and could stumble because of the global economic crisis.
Datuk Seri Abdullah held his last Cabinet meeting yesterday, and bade farewell to his ministers after a little more than five years as the country's fifth prime minister. He will leave office with the country's political landscape in its most unsettled state in decades.
His successor Najib Razak is expected to be sworn in as the premier tomorrow.
Mr Abdullah is cursed by his own party, Umno, on two fronts. One for the poor performance of the Barisan Nasional coalition government in last year's general elections, and the other for allowing former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim to return to active politics.
But then again, Mr Abdullah's report card might be read differently in years to come, with many analysts and diplomats believing that history will take a kinder view of the bland premier.
'History will look at him as Malaysia's Gorbachev,' says a senior South-east Asian diplomat, referring to former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, whose reforms unleashed democratic changes that led to the break-up of the Soviet Union.
