Najib's predicament

Kuala Lumpur, Sept 13 ~ Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is facing a dilemma.

If he does not break with the two year transition plan and move to oust Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, he will risk having his dirty linen hung out in public by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

This ultimatum was passed to the DPM by the former prime minister during a recent meeting, the Malaysian Insider has learnt from those familiar with the meeting. In Perlis yesterday, Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir said that his father told Najib to go against Abdullah or else expect to be finished off.

Najib will be concerned with the threat because he served under Dr Mahathir for more than two decades, and the latter would have been privy to much information.

The DPM has supported Abdullah's plan to hand over power to him in mid 2010 saying that it was in the party tradition to have an orderly transition. He has also resisted many attempts by Dr Mahathir since the

Election 2008 debacle to force Abdullah out of office before the party elections in December.

But yesterday, Najib seemed to waver. Asked about the transition plan and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's call for the PM to leave office earlier than 2010, he said party delegates should decide on the transition plan.

Umno divisions will have their meetings and elections in October. Here, they will also give their nominations for senior positions in the party, including the president and deputy president's positions. Najib's statement yesterday is being interpreted by some as a sign that he will be prepared to accept nominations for the top position in the ruling party.

-TMI