Wednesday 8 October 2008

Pak Lah won't contest and will step down in March

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will not defend his Umno presidency in the party polls next March, paving the way for his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Najib is expected to run for president, and if he wins, would become the nation’s sixth prime minister.

By tradition, the Umno president and deputy president become the prime minister and deputy prime minister respectively.

Datuk Abdullah, however, told reporters that he would "stay on as Prime Minister" till March. And according to rocky, he will go on a two-month leave before handing over the premiership to Najib.

Malaysiakini has the story:

PM not contesting, to quit in March

Malaysiakini Team Oct 8, 08 4:39pm

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has decided not to defend his Umno president's post and will quit in March next year when the ruling party meets for its annual general assembly.

The embattled premier announced this today to a packed press conference after chairing a 90-minute BN special supreme council meeting.

He added that his decision not to contest in the Umno polls was not to create a rift in the party.

"I am announcing I will not seek the presidency of Umno in the upcoming elections. I do not want a divided party and governing coalition, but one that is united and harmonious," Abdullah, 68, told a packed press conference, referring to the party's internal leadership vote in March.

Under the power transition plan agreed between Abdullah and his deputy, Najib Abdul Razak, 55, the deputy premier will take over as soon as Abdullah steps down.

"At some point I will have to hand over to my successor," he added.

He said that he hoped the person who will take over from him would be Najib.

"I hope it is Najib. Why do I say hope? Najib has to stand for Umno elections first. Once he wins the elections and becomes party president then we will discuss it (the transition)," he said.

"It is not the time for us to indulge in infighting or engage in narrow politics, it is now time for us to strengthen our unity and cooperate among ourselves and place the interests of the country above all."

Abdullah also said that he would want to implement his promises in reforming the judiciary and to give more bite to the Anti-Corruption Agency to fight graft before he leaves.

He added that Najib had agreed to back these initiatives.Cleaning up the judiciary, police force.

In pursuing these reforms, he said that he will be tabling two key bills in the Parliament before the end of his term - the Judicial Appointments Commission and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

The outgoing premier also vowed to push through the controversial Special Complaints Commission, which has been stalled in Parliament.

Abdullah had spoken much about these reforms in the past but to date no concrete action has been taken to get them moving.

"These initiatives are important because they are necessary to move our country forward. These initiatives are needed to regain our country's competitiveness. They are necessary to enable our nation and our society to face the challenges that the world has in store for us."

Earlier a component party leader told Malaysiakini that after Abdullah's announcement,the BN leaders took turns to thank him for his leadership over the past five years.

While Abdullah was briefing BN leaders on the power transfer plan at the meeting, scores of his supporters had gathered outside the PWTC building to urge him to stay on.

Armed with banners, the supporters called on the embattled premier to continue until 2010 amid the now confirmed speculation that he might be forced to step down earlier. - Malaysiakini .

15 comments:

Lee said...

AAB's Agonising (7)

Go on... keep speculating!
Five months or so is not a long time
I'm still capable of doing "something"
I can still make my life sublime!

Go on... keep speculating!
I'm no lame-duck premier
I can certainly do "something"
And leave behind a souvenier!

Go on ... keep speculating!
I know the peoples' aspiration
Day by day it is accumulating
I will yet find my inspiration!

Go on ... keep speculating!
It does'nt add to my ignominy
It is "something" I'm still meditating
"Something" that is good for the economy!

Go on ... keep speculating!
I may yet leave behind my footprint
It will be history in the making!
And in the peoples' minds imprint!

Anonymous said...

Finally! The flip-flop doing the right thing, at last.

Just hope he wont "flap" at the last minute -there is still five months to go.

puteri said...

Hope he will honour his word.

mawar said...

For the first time ever, Dato' Abdullah Ahmad, has acted like a real leader.

:"I know I've not been doing well; it's time for someone else to take over..."

mamasita said...

Despite of being able to do an excellent work,I know politicians are also being assessed on their morals and personal hanky-pankys if any.Dato Seri is and always been very lucky.Nobody can touch him on that aspect..linked or not to all the sordid details or the blunders of purchasing whatever,he is definitely our next PM.I hope Tun Mahathir is right to say that he can rehabilitate 'whatever'.Unite UMNO?Impossible!

Anonymous said...

When is he exactly leaving?

Thought he said he has some unfinished work to be done? So why is he taking a 2-mth leave?

Sumore on taxpayers' money.

Anonymous said...

Najib is expected to run for president, and if he wins, would become the nation’s sixth prime minister

One hurdle gone. Pak Lah aint gonna defend his post. Will that make Najib automatically the successor?

Will there be other contenders apart from Ku Li, who has expressed his intention to go for the No 1 Party post.

The slot for the no 2 post seems to be already crowded with Zahid, Rustam Ali, Nurjazalan and Mat Taib aka Mat Tyson - all offering themselves as the 2nd most important man in the party. Sheeesh. Like they say, the more the merrier.

Muhyiddin has yet to announce which post he's contesting.

Why the clamour for the No 2 post, if you may ask?

Yeah, right! By convention the deputy Umno president will become the deputy prime minister.

But frankly speaking, its unimaginable to think --with the exception of Muhyiddin if he goes for the No 2 post--- that these goons believe in their own capability to be the 2nd most important person to lead our country.

Anonymous said...

Pak Lah will be leaving his seat completely on March 2009.that's not very far from now.

after Abdullah has left the building,a huge certainty that Najib would take over the job.

Are Najib really up to the task?.who's gonna be the no.2 man in country then?

Anonymous said...

Mat Jenin,

Can we expect umno members to do the right thing? Vote with greater wisdom this time around?

Anonymous said...

This is in response to sue:

What I forsee is a dirty race for the post of deputy president with the likes of me-no-speak_english and recycled umno "leader" Mike Tyson joining the fray.

Anonymous said...

It's good that Pak Lah has decided not to contest. I think it must have been drummed into his head that there was no way that he could get the required number of nominations to defend his post.

I mean, he could have given up the post and resigned as PM when the BN lost five states to the Pakatan Rakyat in the 12th GE in March.

But he chose to stay on - clutching desperately to his dimishing power and didnt want to let go.

It's also good that he finally realised that there was no way he could continue to lead the party & the country.

But I shudder to think that Najib is going to take over. If we feared the SIL as the power behind Pak Lah, We cant dismiss the fact that there is a fearless & ambitious woman behind Najib.

Keluar mulut harimau masuk miulut buaya... or something like that.

Unknown said...

Najib sudah bersediakan untuk menjadi Perdana Menteri?.selagi dia menjalankan tugas dia sebagai Menteri Kewangan dan Timbalan Perdana Menteri dengan baik maka mungkin tiada apa-apa halangan untuk dia menjadi PM.

selain itu ada juga beberapa halangan lagi untuk dia.setakat ini ramai juga yang mengintai kerusi Perdana Menteri yang bakal kosong.salah seorangnya ialah Anwar.selain itu juga skandal Atlantuya juga sedikit sebanyak menggugat kedudukannya.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Kitty Kat. Pak Lah doesnt have five months. He has only three "working" months (if he REALLY works & not sleeping) after taking a two-month-leave.

If he couldnt deliver the promises made during the 2004 GE, do you think he can make good all the unfulfilled pledges in such a short period?

Will he?

pistolair said...

Rosmah Bakal Perdana Menteri Malaysia? – Bahagian Satu: Belanja Lumayan, Anak Suami Tak Dilayan

Sebelum rakyat dan ahli-ahli UMNO memberi sokongan kepada Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak sebagai Presiden Parti dan Perdana Menteri negara, wajarlah tingkahlaku dan dosa anak Perdana Menteri kedua Malaysia ini diselidiki sepenuhnya. Tolak ketepi dahulu kebarangkalian pengbabitannya dengan pembunuhan ngeri Altantuya Sharibuu yang mengaibkan kerajaan Malaysia di mata dunia. Imbasan ringkas sejarah busuk Najib dan isterinya Rosmah sudah cukup untuk mengajar kita betapa bahaya parti dan negara jatuh ke tangan gandingan suami-isteri (atau lebih sesuai, ISTERI-suami) ini.

Belum sempat keperitan hati keluarga mangsa-mangsa Helikopter Nuri diubati, kronisme dan nepotisme Najib-Rosmah terserlah dengan penggantian Nuri dengan Eurocopter, meskipun ia merupakan model paling mahal sejauh 25% dan tidak diuji medan perang. Mengapa Najib sewaktu menjadi Menteri Pertahanan sekian lama enggan memeterai perjanjian untuk Sikorsky Blackhawk yang jauh lebih murah dan mempunyai rekod cemerlang di zon-zon perang?

Jawapannya datang dalam bentuk seorang adik bernama Nazim Razak yang muncul berkecimpung dalam isu-isu pertahanan negara sungguhpun merupakan seorang arkitek. Dengan rangkaian luasnya dengan pencipta-pencipta Eurocopter, Nazimlah sebenarnya yang menandatangani perjanjian Eurocopter sekaligus meraih komisen besar sewaktu rakyat Malaysia sibuk memikirkan kos sara hidup yang kian meningkat.

Yang cukup membimbangkan kita, sebenarnya bukan Najib yang berkomplot langsung dengan adiknya Nazim dalam hal Eurocopter ini. Tetapi isterinya Rosmah, yang berkelakuan seperti wanita sihir atau "witch" dalam cerita kanak-kanak Inggeris! Rosmah cukup bijak; wanita durjana ini menghabiskan wang yang diberi Nazim, untuk bersuka ria di London. Siapa tak kenal Rosmah dan perangai borosnya itu di negara perantauan. Dalam satu kes, cukai-tambah-nilai sahaja dilaporkan oleh penguatkuasa di England sebanyak 50, 000 pound (sekitar RM350 000)! Jika cukainya yang tak sampai 20% pun sudah bernilai RM350 ribu bayangkanlah berapa tinggi nilai sebenar perbelanjaannya.

Tak cukup lagi dengan keborosan di kedai-kedai mewah di London, Rosmah juga menghabiskan RM 500 ribu untuk pembedahan plastik dan botox di London tahun lepas. Jika tak percaya, lihat sajalah wajah wanita sihir itu dulu dan sekarang; mustahil cukup tempe di Malaysia ini!

Mungkin sikap Rosmah ini tidaklah memeranjatkan, jika kita lihat sejarahnya yang lampau. Sudahlah mencuri suami orang (Najib pada awalnya berkahwin dengan Tunku Puteri), Rosmah cuba sedaya upaya menghalang Najib untuk menghadiri majlis akad nikah anaknya sewaktu bersama Tunku Puteri, Nizar Najib bersama anak usahawan mahsyur dan bekas Exco Wanita UMNO Malaysia Dato' Maznah Hamid. Kuatnya pengaruh Rosmah ke atas suaminya, Najib hampir-hampir akur dengan saranan Rosmah untuk tidak ke majlis tersebut.

Setakat ini sahaja bahagian satu siri Rosmah Bakal Perdana Menteri Malaysia. Tiga isu yang dikupas setakat ini:

1) Perjanjian kronisme Eurocopter yang menguntungkan Rosmah
2) Perbelanjaan lumayan Rosmah di London (wang rakyat!!)
3) "Queen Control" hinggakan perkahwinan anak sah Najib pun tidak direstui

Anonymous said...

He decided not to contest for his position for the sake of the party.
And now, it's up to the rest of UMNO members to decide the best candidate to become the president for UMNO.
Hopefully they choose wisely.