Malaysia PM coy over his deputy

Malaysia PM coy over his deputy

Simon Cameron-Moore, Reuters, Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia's new Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said on Wednesday he was not yet ready to name his deputy, but sources close to ruling party leaders said Defense Minister Najib Razak was most likely to get the job.

Badawi took over on Friday from Mahathir Mohamad, who led the country for 22 years, in a transfer of power which was announced in mid-2002. The biggest question in Malaysian politics since then has been who the new deputy prime minister would be.

The other big question is when Badawi would call a general election.

He was coy on both counts at his first news conference since becoming prime minister.

"When I announce it, it means I have decided," Badawi said when asked whether he had chosen his number two, adding that there would be no cabinet changes for now.

Badawi has given no hint who he would pick. But Mahathir last year suggested that Najib, son of former prime minister Abdul Razak, would make an able number two.

And, according to a source close to the UMNO leadership, Najib was definitely getting the job.

"It's a question of when, not who," said the source.

Another source said Najib was clear favorite, but Badawi was still keeping his choice a secret.

The appointment of a deputy prime minister could be made as early as Thursday, after UMNO's Supreme Council meets, although, according to other sources, Badawi is more likely to wait until December, after the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan.

Meanwhile, Badawi is holding the newly grasped reins of power tightly. He confirmed he would also take over as finance minister, a post held by Mahathir for the last two years, while retaining the interior ministry portfolio as well.

A cabinet reshuffle is most likely after the next election, according to sources close to the leadership.

The new prime minister has plenty of strategic choices to make.

A general election is not due until end-2004, and speculation centers on one being held sometime around March or April, but Badawi did not rule out calling one even by the end of the year.

"At the moment, I'm not certain if we should have it this year, but anyway, you never know," Badawi said.

Badawi is sure of victory but needs a convincing win to consolidate his strength within UMNO.

Several second-tier leaders are believed to harbor ambitions following Mahathir's retirement.

Najib is the strongest of the lot, with a solid network at UMNO's local level, despite only scraping a 241 vote majority to stop Islamists from taking his seat in the northern state of Pahang in the 1999 election.

Najib entered parliament aged 22 in 1976, the year his father died, and he became a minister 10 years later.

He had expected to become deputy prime minister in 1998, when Mahathir chose Badawi instead.