00:00 Former Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has been acknowledged for averting a crisis
00:07 in the aftermath of Paris Unnational's dismal performance in the 2008 general election,
00:13 during which the coalition lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority and control of five
00:19 states.
00:20 Abdullah, who was BN chairman, is said to have acted like a statesman despite the huge
00:26 electoral defeats.
00:29 When being informed of the loss, Abdullah, known as Pak Lah, responded with a smile and
00:35 said BN should not be overly concerned as this is all part of the democratic process,
00:41 according to Kalimullah Hassan, a former adviser who is quoted in the newly published second
00:46 volume of Lim Kit Siang's biography.
00:50 Abdullah then called up Inspector General of Police Musa Hassan and told him to ensure
00:55 a smooth handover of power.
00:58 He also instructed Musa to issue a warning to leaders from both the opposition and BN
01:04 that he would not tolerate any attempt to create trouble, and anyone doing so would
01:09 face the full force of the law.
01:12 In contrast, there were no similar concerns in Penang despite the resounding defeat of
01:18 the state BN which was led by Koh Su Koon at the hands of DAP.
01:24 Koh had anticipated defeat even before the counting of votes had started and had met
01:28 with the Governor and Abdullah to convey his intention to hand over power peacefully if
01:34 it happened.
01:35 (gentle music)
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