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.