ABDULLAH REITERATES PLANS TO HAND OVER PREMIERSHIP TO NAJIB

HUA HIN (THAILAND), March 2 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi said Sunday that he would stick to the plan to hand over the
premiership to his deputy Najib Tun Razak after the Umno election this month.

UMNO stands for United Malays National Organisation, is a right-wing party
and Malaysia's largest political party; a founding member of the National Front
or Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which has been Malaysia's ruling political
party since independence.

"Well there was this plan that I have made, so we have to follow the plan,"
he said at a press conference at the end of the 14th Asean Summit here.

Abdullah, who is also the UMNO President, said this when asked to comment on
speculations that he would not relinquish the prime minister's post after the
party election later this month.

Abdullah, who became the fifth prime minister in October, 2003, has declined
to defend his party post.

Najib is set to take over the party leadership from Abdullah after being the
sole contender for the UMNO presidency after nominations closed for the party's
top positions late last year.

Traditionally, the Umno president also assumes the premiership, while the
deputy president becomes the deputy prime minister.

-- BERNAMA