Ahmad Badawi takes office amid warnings

Ahmad Badawi takes office amid warnings

KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Malaysia's new deputy prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi took office on Monday amidst warnings from his detained predecessor Anwar Ibrahim that his credibility would be at stake.

Abdullah, 59, who also took over the home ministry from Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad amid an outcry over the beating of Anwar in police custody, said the ministry would strive to adopt a "people-friendly administration," Bernama news agency reported.

Abdullah met Mahathir for half-an-hour, during which he was briefed about his new duties, it added.

Mahathir last week named Daim Zainuddin to take Anwar's other position as finance minister and Anwar, who was sacked as leader- in-waiting last September and later detained, had warnings for both men.

Anwar welcomed Abdullah's appointment but warned in a statement that "his credibility would be questioned if he just obeyed the prime minister.

"The public would certainly want to know his views on the extravagant and the mega projects, corruption and the use of national wealth... the blatant use of force and oppressing the people," Anwar said.

Anwar said Mahathir's decision to relinquish the home ministry was appropriate.

"The ministry and the police have been used to protect his personal interest. The image of the police force that had been adversely tarnished as a result of his personal directives and the high-handed actions of then IGP Rahim Noor needs to be rectified," he added.

Anwar called Mahathir's choice of finance minister "shocking" and accused his successor of rampant corruption and cronyism.

"The appointment of Tun Daim Zainuddin as minister of finance is shocking," Anwar said in a statement read by his wife, Azizah Ismail. "Tun" is a Malaysian title of respect.

Daim was made Mahathir's chief economics aide last year to help revive Malaysia's flagging economy. He was finance minister in 1984 but resigned several years later to pursue business interests.

"Mahathir told me that he accepted Tun Daim's resignation because there were too many allegations of corruption against him, that he had amassed wealth when he was minister of finance," Anwar said.

"I would like to reiterate my earlier challenge to expose all approved shares and contracts under Tun Daim and myself as minister of finance," said Anwar, who insists his own political career has been free of corruption.

"Mahathir had to depend on Tun Daim to assist his family members or their cronies," said Anwar, alleging that Daim was not appointed on merits alone.

Daim's spokesman could not be reached for reaction to Anwar's comments. Anwar also questioned Daim's ethics, given the businessman-turned-finance minister's role in the central bank, Bank Negara.

Opposition MP Lim Kit Siang, who heads the Democratic Action MP, urged Abdullah to "act decisively" to establish an independent inquiry into the assault of Anwar under police custody.

Lim also called on the new deputy leader to "loosen up and remove the press controls in the country to usher in an era of free, fair and responsible press in Malaysia."

He appealed to Abdullah to initiate prison reforms to ensure that all prisoners were treated well and to improve the salaries and conditions of prison service.

"Abdullah must ensure that he could stamp a new character and personality on the various departments in the home ministry, rather than allow them to stamp their character and personality on him," Lim said.

Abdullah, who was the foreign minister since 1991, is known as a staunch Mahathir loyalist and a well-liked figure in diplomatic circles.