Published: Thursday April 2, 2009 MYT 9:55:00 AM
Updated: Thursday April 2, 2009 MYT 8:10:16 PM

Power handover begins (Update)

By JANE RITIKOS and ZULKIFLI RAHMAN

Najib leaves Istana Negara on Thursday after meeting the King.

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will take his oath of office as Malaysia’s sixth Prime Minister at 10am on Friday before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin. The ceremony will be telecast live by RTM.

Current Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is expected to hand over his duties to Najib at the Prime Minister’s office in Putrajaya at 4pm Friday.

On Thursday, Abdullah had an audience with the Agong at Istana Negara here where he expressed his intention to relinquish his premiership and also to name his successor.

Abdullah, who arrived at the palace in his Proton Perdana official car with the number plate WCH 13 at 9.59am, met the Agong for about one hour. The Agong had arrived at Istana Negara at 9.55am.

Abdullah leaves Istana Negara after meeting the King.

Speaking to the official media allowed into the palace, Abdullah said: “It’s a matter for Tuanku to decide.”

He left through the main palace gate with his security entourage at 10.57am and raised his hand to a horde of about 70 reporters gathered at the gate as his car drove off.

Minutes later, Najib’s official car and police escort drove past the palace and it is learnt that he went to Abdullah’s residence at Jalan Bellamy where the two leaders met for about 10 minutes.

Najib, who was called to the palace, arrived at 11.28am to have an audience with Tuanku Mizan.

At 12.15pm, he left through the palace gate with his security escort but did not stop to speak to journalists. He waved to them through his open window and said “Thank you.”

Abdullah, who became the the country’s fifth premier in October 2003, was pressured into stepping down after the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition suffered its worst-ever results in the 12th general election last March.

It had lost its two-thirds majority in Parliament, and five out of 13 states.

Farewell lunch
Later in PUTRAJAYA, Abdullah hosted a lunch for his staff to thank them for their support and hard work during his tenure as premier.

He and his wife Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah hosted some 130 staff from the Prime Minister’s Office and Defence Minister’s Office at Seri Perdana.

Abdullah told his staff that he appreciated their support throughout his five-year tenure as the country’s fifth prime minister.

“Please keep up the good work and continue to provide efficient service. I wish you all the best and thank you for your support and co-operation,” he said.

Abdullah also apologised for any wrongdoing, before leaving for the Defence Ministry where he was given a military send-off.

Abdullah, who arrived at 3pm, attended his last meeting with the Armed Forces Council before the ceremony, which was held at the parade ground in front of the main ministry building.

He inspected a guard-of-honour comprising three officers and 103 soldiers from the First Royal Malay Regiment, led by Mejar Norhisyam Kamar.

Abdullah shook hands with senior military officials and ministry staff before he got on a special open-topped four-wheel-drive vehicle that was pulled by officers from the Army, Navy and Air Force.

Along the way, the ministry choir sang Bertemu dan Berpisah, the Bahasa Malaysia version of Auld Lang Syne.

Among those who came to bid farewell to Abdullah were Defence Ministry secretary-general Datuk Abu Bakar Abdullah, Armed Forces chief Jen Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Zainal, Navy chief Admiral Datuk Seri Abdul Aziz Jaafar and Air Force chief Jeneral Tan Sri Azizan Ariffin.

Abdullah had held the Defence Ministry portfolio since September 17, 2008.

Viewpoint:
Pak Lah is ready to move on