Badawi begins rule with plea for support

Badawi begins rule with plea for support

Sean Yoong, Associated Press, Penang, Malaysia

In his first speech as Malaysia's new prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi promised on Saturday that he would keep his predecessor's policies in place, and urged cheering supporters to back him as he takes over after Mahathir Mohamad's 22-year reign.

The address to more 5,000 people in his native state of Penang state consisted mainly of thanking the audience, many of them members of his own party.

Abdullah promised to work for greater racial unity in Malaysia, and urged supporters to push hard to give the ruling coalition a big win in national elections due by the end of 2004.

"I want you to work together with me," Abdullah said in his nationally televised speech. "May Malaysia be more developed. May Malaysia be more successful."

Abdullah became Malaysia's first new prime minister in a generation on Friday when he succeeded Mahathir, who stepped down after propelling this former tin- and rubber-producing backwater into the ranks of Southeast Asia's wealthiest, most developed nations.

In his speech, Abdullah paid tribute to Mahathir, saying his predecessor had left behind a "truly effective, modern and successful government".

The crowd hailed Abdullah with flags of the ruling United Malays National Organization, and banners reading: "We pledge our loyalty to you, our beloved prime minister."

On Saturday, Abdullah was also set to visit the village where he grew up among a clan of religious leaders and politicians in this northern Malaysian state.

He planned to meet his 79-year-old mother there to break the fast during the Ramadhan fasting month.

Abdullah, who has promised not to make any major policy changes, is considered milder than the blunt-spoken Mahathir - an advocate of the developing and Islamic worlds, who was known for his fiery criticism of globalization and U.S. policy in the Middle East.

Dubbed the "Mr. Nice Guy" of Malaysian politics, Abdullah has resisted pressure to name a deputy, a coveted post which is traditionally a springboard for leadership challenges.

The chief contenders are Najib Razak, the current defense minister and Mahathir's favorite, and Muhyiddin Yassin, the consumer affairs minister.

The new government faces elections within 12 months, and Abdullah faces a big test in leading his United Malays National Organization against a powerful fundamentalist Islamic opposition party.

While the opposition has almost no chance of winning power outright, a poor showing by UMNO would place Abdullah's leadership under great pressure from within the party.

Abdullah, who has a degree in Islamic studies and once worked in the civil service, waded into politics after the death of his father, a pioneer UMNO member. He entered Parliament in 1978, holding the education, defense and foreign affairs portfolios before becoming Mahathir's deputy.