Muhyiddin Motion to Finish off PM

18th October Malaysiaparty 's pick of to-day
(picked from themalaysianinsider.com) : http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/10624-muhyiddin-

Muhyiddin moves to finish off PM

COMMENTARY
OCT 16 - Buoyed by the overwhelming lead he has secured for the deputypresidency after the first week of nominations from Umno divisions, Tan SriMuhyiddin Yassin has moved to land a fatal blow on Prime Minister Datuk SeriAbdullah Ahmad Badawi.Under the latest, and what many thought was the final version of thetransition plan, Abdullah announced that he would not stand for re-electionin Umno and hand over power when the party's annual congress officiallyelects its new leader in March.Following Abdullah's announcement, as planned, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, iscruising towards an uncontested win with no one else managing to secure anomination for the top post thus far. For many in Umno, it is already aforegone conclusion that Najib and Muhyiddin will be the next leadershippair of the party and government.But until now, there was also widespread acceptance for the postponement ofthe party congress from December to March in order to give Abdullah sometime to finish his promised reforms. It seems that even that is now underquestion.When met by reporters today, Muhyiddin said that the campaign period was toolong and that this would affect the official work of ministers and deputyministers aspiring for posts in the party.Reading between the lines of Muhyiddin's statement is a clear move to oustAbdullah earlier.Muhyiddin has been at the forefront of the campaign to get Abdullah toresign after the March general election which initially resulted in the 2010formula, and then when Muhyiddin felt that he could push it further, hesucceeded in orchestrating calls for an earlier handover which finally ledto the March 2009 agreement where Abdullah would step down as Prime Ministerafter the party congress.Now, Muhyiddin is at it again. Perhaps confident that he has no realchallenger for the deputy presidency considering his nearest rival, MalaccaChief Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Ali Rustam, is trailing far behind innomination numbers, Muhyiddin is now going for the kill by appealing to Umnomembers to exert pressure once again on the leadership to bring the date ofthe congress forward and hence get Abdullah out quicker.The move is calculated to give an advantage to the current frontrunners whoare all perceived to be aligned to the Najib-Muhyiddin ticket -vice-president aspirants Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Datuk SeriShafie Apdal, and Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir who is leading the race for theYouth leadership.The quicker the congress, where delegates will elect those who make it pastthe nomination stage, the better the chances are for these frontrunners. Ifthe congress takes place in March 2009 as scheduled, sentiment can turnagainst those who have taken an early lead.However, the main point behind Muhyiddin's latest move is that it isdesigned to cut short Abdullah's extra time in office. It is possible thatthe latest round of political attacks on Najib has created a sense that thetransition must happen quicker before any more damage is done to theincoming premier.Many Najib supporters feel that he will be better able to handle theaccusations if he is already the Prime Minister and that March may be toofar away. For Muhyiddin, an earlier Abdullah exit will also see himappointed as Deputy Prime Minister quicker.Muhyiddin's latest statement comes a few days after a telling photograph waspublished in a leading Malay-language daily of him, Najib and former premierTun Dr Mahathir Mohamad sitting together at a Hari Raya open house.For political observers, the photograph spoke not just a thousand, but amillion words. Dr Mahathir wants nothing more than Abdullah being booted outof office sooner than later.It seems Muhyiddin is about to deliver that for the man who has come out invocal support for him as Najib's deputy.
(picked from themalaysianinsider at http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/10624-muhyiddin-)