Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia:-
Malaysia will surely have a new Prime Minister by March next year. This was an arrangement agreed to by UMNO, the lead partner in the National Front coalition.
This was the coalition that have continuosly ruled this small nation ever since it attained independence in 1957.
Success, even if successfully sustained for so long brought along its very own inherent problem. The Malaysian population is used to the National Front Coalition having a two third majority in Parliament.
Thus, when it [the coalition] managed only a confortable majority and not the usual two-third majority in the last election, the whole nation was stunned. Yes, they formed their government.
What was apalling to the populace at large was the fact that five states went to the Opposition. There were calls for Abdullah’s resignation.
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was the President of UMNO [United Malay National Organisation] and by that position he still assumed th mantle of Premiership.
Not long after the General Elexction, the leader of the Opposition resigned her seat in favour of Anwar Ibrahim,her husband. Anwar Ibrahim was reelected and this added salt to the still festering wound on the National Front.s body.
After painfully introducing reforms of openness, Abdullah was also unwilling to manage his executive power. Mahathir would have done otherwise.
It is this unwillingness to use this enormous power that led many of his friends accusing him of being weak and indecisive.
Calls for a change of leadership and power handover were becoming louder. This time Abdullah made a wise decision.
The agreed date for a change of leadership was brought forward. From june 2010 it was brought forward to March 2009.
WEll, once again almost everybody agreed. However, Abdullah won the day when the majority of the population agreed and praised him for his decision.