Ailing government puts faith in new leadership

Malaysia’s sixth prime minister will take over a weakened government within a week, burdened by pressure to fix the blunders that forced his predecessor to step down amid political and economic disquiet.

Najib Razak’s biggest challenge is clear: rebuild the ruling coalition’s ebbing support after an electoral debacle.

However, he also must try to rescue the economy from a potential recession and repair his personal reputation following opposition accusations linking him to corruption and murder.

After succeeding Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as head of the United Malays National Organisation ruling party over the weekend, Mr Najib bristled at suggestions that people might not welcome his imminent rise to prime minister.

“Why do you form this judgment about me?” Mr Najib asked reporters at the end of the ruling party’s annual congress yesterday. “Give me a chance. ... You seem to jump to conclusions before I even take office.”

Mr Najib, 55, was speaking after Mr Abdullah announced plans to meet Malaysia’s king, the constitutional monarch, to offer his resignation on Thursday.

Mr Abdullah’s aides indicated he likely would hand the premiership to Mr Najib the following day.

Mr Najib’s immediate priorities include April 7 special elections to fill three legislative vacancies.

Winning at least two of them would boost the morale of the National Front coalition government, which suffered its poorest results ever in general elections a year ago and lost two subsequent by-elections for Parliament seats.

With less than a two-thirds parliamentary majority, the National Front is in its most vulnerable state in 52 years of uninterrupted rule.

Officials hope that Mr Najib, son of Malaysia’s second prime minister since independence from Britain in 1957, can reverse the rot before the next general elections, due in 2013.