Rafidah accepts Cabinet exclusion but vows to defend Wanita chief post - NST

By : Marc Lourdes

KUALA LUMPUR, Wed:

For 20 years, she was the ‘Iron Lady’. She stood up and spoke fiercely on issues that mattered to the country, not giving an inch without getting a yard. For two decades, reporters who did not do their homework got a taste of her acid tongue.

Today, it was no different. For close to 40 minutes Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz was her ultra confident self, poised almost regally to answer questions thrown at her. She was feisty and, if the question was not to her liking, sarcastic. But when it was time to end the press conference and say her goodbyes, the tears flowed. Freely.

Earlier Rafidah, the world’s longest international trade and industry minister until today, showed why she is referred to as ‘Iron Lady’ when she stoically accepted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s decision to drop her from the new cabinet.

“I accept Abdullah’s choice with an open heart because everybody should know when it is time to retire,” she said. “I was told at 9am on the day of the announcement that he will not be including me in the cabinet. I asked him why and he said it is because he wants new faces. I accepted it because I have already served for so long and the time for retirement has arrived.”

Rafidah said she didn’t say anything to Abdullah, except to thank him and wish him luck with his new cabinet. Not only did Rafidah dismiss speculation that she would step down as Wanita Umno chief, she vowed to defend her post.

[More at http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/Frontpage/20080319170950/Article/index_html]