The Power of Love ...

The love of power could, at times, put to test the power of love. Malaysians woke up this morning to front-paged news of former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's sharp criticisms of the current administration. Between loyalty and respect, this is the day when ministers had to choose between their fondness and gratitude to Dr Mahathir and their duty of speaking up for the leader of the day. Those who had served both administrations found themselves in the most difficult situation. While Cabinet Ministers, Barisan Nasional component parties and the rakyat stood solidly behind him, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi chose not to wade into controversy. "Tun (Dr Mahathir) is free to say anything. It is not a problem for me because our country is democratic," he told reporters after handing-over keys to owners of low-cost flats in Sandakan in the state of Sabah. At a press conference in Putrajaya yesterday, Dr Mahathir poured eveything out on his relations with the government , going so far as to imply that he had picked the wrong person to lead the country.