Abdullah dismisses assumptions he conspired with opposition over book

Former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad today dismissed assumptions that he had conspired with the opposition to go against his own party, Umno, through the publication of the book "Awakening: The Abdullah Badawi Years in Malaysia".

"That is tantamount to twisting the facts and is slanderous. The criticisms given during the interview with me, as contained in the book, were made because I wish to see that Umno continues to have the people's mandate and trust.

"I have never left Umno and, God willing, when the time comes I will breathe my last in this world as an Umno member who loves his motherland," he said in a media statement.

Abdullah said it must be understood that he had neither written the book nor sponsored its publication.

He said he had been interviewed by two academicians, James Chin and Bridget Welsh, on the principle of openness for a balanced debate with regard to all points of view.

Abdullah explained that he was only associated with an interview in 2011, which was more inclined towards replying to questions raised by the writers who had contributed to the book and providing him with an opportunity to clarify several points inserted in the book.

"I did not sponsor or ask for the book to be published. It is the norm for academicians to make an analysis of our country's political history and, definitely, my era did not escape academic research.

"I only agreed to be interviewed so that my views and explanations can be carried in the book," he said.

Abdullah said he did not know of, was not informed about and was not responsible for any invitation to launch or discuss the book.

He said he had no plans to attend the launch of the book for it could be then assumed that he wrote it and sponsored its publication.

"The news that an opposition leader has been invited to launch the book in Singapore, even if it is true, is the decision of the publisher, not mine," he said.

It had been reported that Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah, daughter of Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, would launch the book in Singapore on Aug 30.