Malaysia's beleaguered prime minister, Abdullah Badawi, has announced that he will step down early and hand power to his deputy, Najib Razak.
By Thomas Bell, South East Asia CorrespondentLast Updated: 3:03PM BST 08 Oct 2008
Last Updated: 3:03PM BST 08 Oct 2008
The transition had been scheduled for 2010 but will be brought forward to March 2009. Mr Abdullah's standing in the United Malays' National Organisation (UMNO) which has led Malaysia's government for 51 years, was undermined when he led the party to its worst ever election results earlier this year.
"In all my years of service, I have always been guided by my conscience ... and I do not want a divided party and governing coalition, but one that is united and harmonious," he said at a press conference, flanked by Deputy Prime Minister Najib.
The UMNO led National Front coalition government, which has dominated politics for half a century with giant parliamentary majorities, slumped to a parliamentary majority of 30 in March. For Malaysia's super-stable politics it was an earth quake.
Analysts say voters punished the government for its widely perceived corruption, authoritarianism and a slowing economy. Policies which favour the majority ethnic Malays have alienated the large ethnic Chinese and Indian communities.
Mr Abdullah has also faced a campaign by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who is seeking to seize power with the help of defecting lawmakers.
Mr Anwar says he has the numbers to form a new administration but is being blocked from triggering a change in government – which would be the first in Malaysia's history.
Mr Najib, who was educated at English public school and Nottingham University, has UMNO politics in his blood. Both his father and his uncle were prime minister before him.
In recent years he has been dogged by allegations that he is linked to the murder of a young woman in 2006. It has been alleged that the victim was once Mr Najib's lover.
The dead woman's body was disposed of with military explosives. Two of Mr Najib's police body guards and a close associate are on trial for the killing but Mr Najib has strongly denied any knowledge of the affair.
Malaysian PM, Abdullah Badawi, to resign