Malaysian PM resigns
Friday, 3 April 2009
KUALA LUMPUR, April 2(AFP): Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi resigned Thursday after six years in office, clearing the way for his deputy to take over the task of steering the nation out of economic crisis.
Najib Razak will be sworn in on Friday, completing a transition that has been in the planning since elections last year in which the ruling United Malays National Organisation party (UMNO) put up its worst performance in 39 years.
The incoming prime minister has said he will focus on a programme to unite the multi-racial nation, whose ethnic minorities shifted towards the opposition in large numbers in the 2008 polls, fearing their rights were being eroded.
"I think this new thrust will ensure there will be a fairer distribution of government allocations and assistance to all communities," Najib said Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the 81 opposition lawmakers in parliament sent a joint petition to the king urging him to delay Najib's swearing-in until he has been cleared of allegations including links to the murder of an aide's mistress.
Najib Razak will be sworn in on Friday, completing a transition that has been in the planning since elections last year in which the ruling United Malays National Organisation party (UMNO) put up its worst performance in 39 years.
The incoming prime minister has said he will focus on a programme to unite the multi-racial nation, whose ethnic minorities shifted towards the opposition in large numbers in the 2008 polls, fearing their rights were being eroded.
"I think this new thrust will ensure there will be a fairer distribution of government allocations and assistance to all communities," Najib said Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the 81 opposition lawmakers in parliament sent a joint petition to the king urging him to delay Najib's swearing-in until he has been cleared of allegations including links to the murder of an aide's mistress.