Abdullah being compared to ex-Soviet leader Gorbachev

Malaysianinsider - Power brokers feel PM may be unceremoniously forced out
Along the corridors of power and in Umno circles, the name of one former world leader is being tossed around with increasing frequency.

The more Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi talks about reforms and attempts to push the envelope to change things in Malaysia, the more some people feel that he will follow the path of Mikhail Gorbachev, the leader credited with carving open the Soviet Union with sweeping reforms before being unceremoniously forced out of power.

The similarities between the two may only be partially correct. Unlike Gorbachev, who caught the imagination of Soviets with this policy of glasnost and perestroika, Abdullah’s only claim is that he opened up democratic spaces in the country, and allowed dissent to flourish.

His pledge to tackle corruption, create a more transparent government and other reforms were largely still born in his first term as Prime Minister. more...