Musa backs bid for top posts

Mon, 28 Feb 2000, 00:00 WIB | Source: AFP

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad
and his preferred successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should face a
contest for the top two ruling party posts in May, a veteran
politician says.

Former deputy premier Musa Hitam, in an interview in Sunday's
Star newspaper, also predicted that Mahathir's old rival Tengku
Razaleigh Hamzah would challenge either the premier or Abdullah
in the UMNO leadership elections.

The United Malays National Organization has dominated politics
since independence in 1957. Its president and deputy president
are automatically prime minister and deputy premier.

The result of May's meeting is expected to point to Mahathir's
likely successor. The premier, in power for 18 years, says this
will be his last term.

Musa is the second former deputy premier to come out against a
controversial "no contest" ruling by the party's top brass last
month. Abdul Ghafar Baba has also said Mahathir and Abdullah
should be ready to face a challenge.

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