PM, Najib 'agreed on succession plan'
Malaysiakini.com
Jun 13, 2008

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, facing calls to quit after disastrous election results, said today he had agreed a plan to hand power to his deputy.
MCPX

abdullah ahmad badawi election annoucement 130208 seriousAbdullah had previously rejected calls from within the ruling Umno to formalise his plans to relinquish power, saying he would only discuss a transition after December internal leadership polls.

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak is Abdullah's heir apparent but has made no public challenge, despite the crisis in Umno since March general elections which produced the worst results in its half-century history.

"Najib and I have decided on the right time for me to hand over the premiership to him. We've no problems and we enjoy good working relations," Abdullah said according to the state Bernama news agency.

"The leadership change will definitely take place at the right time," he said at a luncheon with government officials and community leaders.

Umno might not survive leadership battle

Najib, whose father was Malaysia's second prime minister, said during a visit to Britain this week that Umno might not survive a leadership battle.

"Umno is now at its lowest point and if you create a serious fight for the leadership, the party will be further weakened and unable to face the challenges ahead," he said.

"What's the point of inheriting a position when you lose in the general elections? I don't want to lead the party to defeat."

Abdullah, who has repeatedly rejected calls to resign, called for an end to speculation over his relationship with Najib which he said would only damage the party.

"It's important for everyone to see the relationship between me and Najib as very crucial to strengthen Umno and the government and to implement the development projects and programmes that have been planned," he said.

The March elections saw the Umno-led coalition lose a third of parliamentary seats and five states to a resurgent opposition, which now has ambitions of seizing power with the help of defecting government lawmakers.

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