NAJIB IS THE 6TH PM OF MALAYSIA

Najib had taken the oath of office as the country's sixth prime minister before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, at the Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

Abdullah handed over a blue bound volume of the prime ministerial duties note to Najib around 5pm today at the pemier's office.


Abdullah hands PM baton to Najib


Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today handed over premiership duties to his successor Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Abdul Razak in a modest ceremony witnessed by officers at the Prime Minister’s office and cabinet colleagues here. The ceremony was telecast live over RTM1 at 4pm.

Abdullah, who clocked five years, five months and three days as the fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia, looked at ease in a orange traditional outfit as he greeted Najib with a hug as the latter entered his room at 4.15pm.

Najib was accompanied by his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, both dressedin pink traditional Malay wear, and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan. Abdullah and Najib then posed for press photographers before adjourning for a half-hour private meeting.

Before exiting his office of five years, Abdullah handed over a blue bound volume of the prime ministerial duties note to Najib before emerging at the main concourse of the building at 5pm to rousing applause.

After a short prayer, Abdullah and his wife Tun Jeanne and accompanied by Najib bade farewell to a crowd of department officers, staff and cabinet colleagues.

At 5.15pm, led by a team of security personnel, Abdullah and Jeanne accompanied by Najib and Rosmah made their way down the stairs of the department to a waiting black sedan which whisked them away just before 5.30pm.

Najib had taken the oath of office as the country's sixth prime minister before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, at the Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

The nation recorded history with the elevation of Najib to the post of prime minister when, for the first time, the post was filled by the son of a former prime minister. Najib's father, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, was the country's second prime minister.

On Oct 8 last year, Abdullah announced that he would not defend the post of Umno president and would relinquish the post of prime minister in March this
year, thus hastening the transition of power to Najib earlier than the originally scheduled date of June 2010.

Last Saturday, Najib was officially declared Umno president, a post he had won unopposed, at the Umno General Assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) in Kuala Lumpur.

Yesterday, Abdullah, who had helmed the country for more than five years, had an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at the Istana Negara to hand over the letter elinquishing the post of prime minister and sought His Majesty's consent to appoint Najib as his successor.

Abdullah was appointed the fifth prime minister of the country on Oct 31 2003, and the handing-over of duties from Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to Abdullah had taken place at the same Prime Minister's Office, also on a Friday.

Maria J.Dass/sun2surf