Najib reiterates support for Abdullah

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today firmly stood behind his boss Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, saying that he would support the premier in restoring people’s trust and confidence in the government.
In reiterating his support to Abdullah as the leader of the government and Umno despite pressure on the prime minister to step down, Najib said Abdullah still commanded the support and respect of the cabinet and Umno members for his leadership.
"The prime minister has expressed his intention to continue leading the nation as he still enjoys the support and respect in the cabinet and among party members,” Najib was quoted as saying by Bernama today.
"He (Abdullah) has decided to continue with his leadership and has the right to do so," he said.
Najib said that he would play his role as Abdullah’s deputy in both the government and party to reinvent Umno and restore the people's trust and confidence in the government.
"We'll work together as a team in the cabinet and in Umno. This will be our primary task to be focused on," he added.
BN's heavy loss
He also said that demands for the prime minister to step down were merely the views of certain quarters.
The calls asking for Abdullah’s resignation has been getting louder by the day to the extent that the premier had to reiterate his stand yesterday that he would not run away from his responsibilities as the prime minister.
His detractors, including his predecessor Dr Mahathir Mohamad, are calling for him to resign to assume responsibility for the Barisan Nasional's poor showing in last month's general election.
The BN lost its long-held two-thirds majority in Parliament after winning only 140 of the 222 parliamentary seats while the opposition captured 82 seats. It also lost control of Abdullah’s home state of Penang, Perak, Selangor and Kedah besides failing to regain Kelantan from PAS.
Abdullah is also expected to face challenge from former Umno vice president Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah for the party presidency post in the December party polls.

Najib throws his lot with Pak Lah, invites Dr M's rapid-fire attack
Murky behind-the-scene play for Umno leadership gets just a little clearer

KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 — Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today signalled that he was a tag team with Abdullah Ahmad Badawi – a move which will make him a marked man by those who want to force the Prime Minister out of office.
And also make it easier for Umno supporters to choose which team they will support in the fight for control of the party.
Najib’s statement comes a few days after former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad withdrew his support for Najib as Abdullah’s successor and implied that he was a weak leader.
Dr Mahathir, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and other Umno veterans have asked Abdullah to take responsibility for the party’s dismal performance in the polls, and step down. Dr Mahathir upped the ante at a gathering in Petaling Jaya when he said that Abdullah carried no shame.
Najib said today that the calls for the PM to resign were merely the views of certain quarters, pledged as the “second man’’ in the government to help Abdullah reinvent Umno and restore people’s faith and trust in the government.
“We will work together as a team in the Cabinet and Umno. This will be our primary task to be focused on," he said, adding that Abdullah had the support of the Cabinet and Umno members.
Najib’s statement will end any pretense of civility between him and Dr Mahathir. He can expect to face the full brunt of attack of the former prime minister, beginning today. After March 8, several messages were sent through intermediaries telling Najib that if he distanced himself from Abdullah, he would receive the support of the group working to remove the PM.
But if he chose to remain loyal to the PM, he will be fair game.
This ultimatum of sorts has troubled Najib over the past two weeks because he knows that his alleged links to the Altantuya case and defence deals will be raked up and displayed for public viewing.
But in the final analysis, he believes that he sinks or swims with Abdullah.
Distancing himself from Abdullah may make short term sense but there is little guarantee that he will occupy the position as party president or will be given the freedom to run the party and country if he linked up with the Mahathir camp.
Najib is also not a politician given to risk taking. He has always been willing to bide his time. Over the next few days, Abdullah could come out and endorse Najib.
Still, for some politicians it is too early to start taking sides. There is too much at stake and the current sentiment in Umno against the leadership is too raw.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yasin, who is being touted by the Mahathir camp as a possible candidate for the party president’s position, remained coy about his political leanings today.
He did not take any bait to bash critics of the PM. When asked if Umno needed a strong leader to reform the party, he replied: “In any political party you need a strong leader to move things through and to improve the situation and to regain the loss of confidence of the public.’
Asked whether Abdullah could provide the leadership to revive Umno and BN, he said: “That’s up to you to perceive. I don’t want to answer that question.’’


tunku: yes pak lah still enjoy supports but only from the leaders level and not the grassroot level.you have lost 5+1 states and still saying that you have strong support?keep dreaming pak lah and najib.well with najib latest statement , it means that now someone should contest against him too in december.we don't need leader like najib.if pak lah should be responsible for bad result, najib to be blamed too.