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KUALA LUMPUR — Website Malaysian Insider has said Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi is expected to announce a decision to step down in June 2010 and handover to Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak.
This is supposed to take place at a party meeting on Thursday where the Malaysian leader is also reported to be set to announce that he will step down as UMNO president as well.
His decision to set a specific date of departure will have repercussions on the party elections, with him and Najib likely to be returned unopposed as the first and second in the party.
Abdullah has been facing increasing criticisms and pressure since the ruling Barisan Nasional coaltion suffered major reversals in the 2008 General Election.
Amid calls to step down, he had said repeatedly that he would hand over leadership to Deputy PM Najib, but did not offer a specific date for the transfer of power.
Party officials reportedly said that Abdullah agreed to finally set a date because he believed that this would bring some semblance of certainty to Malaysia and reduce the level of politicking which has upset many Malaysians and foreign investors.
The officials added that Abdullah picked 2010 because it marks the end of the Ninth Malaysia Plan and that the Malaysian leader wanted to make sure all projects and programmes under it are implemented before handing over power to Najib.
- CNA/vm
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