Pak Lah, Najib hold 30-min private meeting

breaking news updated 11.20am Twenty-five of the most powerful leaders in Umno have begun a meeting this morning, where they will sit down to chart a course of direction for the party's future leadership.

Top on the agenda at this morning's supreme council meeting will be the mediation of power transfer from current party president and Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to his deputy Najib Abdul Razak.

At the outset of the supreme council meeting, both Abdullah and Najib had a private meeting for about 30 minutes. The council meeting only started after this private meeting at about 11am.

The burning questions of when and how are expected to be finalised this morning itself at the council meeting, although party insiders are unsure exactly how much of this 'top-secret' information will be announced later.

But what is clear is that the 2010 power transition plan mooted by Abdullah in July will have to make way for another that allows the 55-year-old Najib to assume the party presidency and premiership of the country sooner - by at least a year.

The next hot topic to be discussed this morning will be the postponement of the party's December annual general assembly.

The supreme council is widely expected to approve the deferment of the annual congress - which this year includes the critical election of top office bearers - to June 2009 at the latest.

New Guns

Umno, the largest and most powerful political party, is the backbone of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition. The party president and deputy president by tradition take on the premiership and deputy premiership of the country.

Abdullah, the 68-year-old former foreign minister, inherited the top job from Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 2003.

Also known as Pak Lah, Abdullah won the hearts of Malaysians when he first came to power. His consultative and kind ways were a breath of fresh air to all Malaysians, fed up with Mahathir's ham-fisted ways.

But Abdullah's failure to nip in the bud a string of recent controversies, including the coalition's near disastrous showing at the March national polls, led to a decline in his political power.

Proponents for a 'change or perish' in Umno - led by vice-president Muhyiddin Yassin - gained ground, winning crucial support from the grassroots to reject Abdullah's 2010 plan.

Najib, the eldest son of the country's second prime minister Abdul Razak, is the most widely accepted successor for the top post.

He is expected to name Muhyiddin as his number two once it is confirmed that Abdullah will not be defending the presidency.