KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's next premier Najib Razak, who has pledged reforms after disastrous polls, on Friday cemented his control of the faction-ridden ruling party after allies were elected to key posts.
Najib was appointed president of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) Thursday, replacing Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who presided over its worst ever election performance in March 2008.
UMNO members holding their annual meeting this week had picked Abdullah allies for influential positions, including youth wing chief which was handed to his son-in-law.
But on Thursday delegates changed tack and picked Najib loyalists for party deputy president and its three vice-presidents, helping him exert his influence over the party which has been in crisis since the polls.
"It's a good line-up for Najib though it is still too early to say if his position is completely secure," said Yang Razali Kassim, an analyst from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.
"The new line-up will help Najib push through the reforms that he has been talking about... and revive the party that is in danger of being sent to the dustbin," he told AFP.
According to results announced at the meeting, Trade Minister Muhyiddin Yassin seized the post of UMNO deputy president, which traditionally carries with it the position of deputy prime minister.
Under Malaysia's turn-taking political tradition, he is now next in line for the nation's top job as head of the UMNO-led coalition after Najib, who served as deputy premier for the past six years.
The three vice-presidents – Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Hishammuddin Hussein and Mohamad Shafie Apdal – are all cabinet ministers and Najib loyalists.
The winning candidates, dressed in colourful batik shirts and clearly overjoyed by the clean sweep, held their hands aloft as the crowd of more than 2,000 party delegates cheered them on.
The celebratory mood continued Friday as UMNO delegates held a full-day debate aimed at charting their future after the polls which handed the opposition a third of seats in parliament.
"The young team is a good line-up for Malaysia but we are already behind time in getting things done that need to be done for the country," said Energy and Communications Minister Shaziman Abu Mansor.
Ahmad Said, chief minister of Terengganu state, said the party had sent a clear message by voting for a changing of the guard in the party – widely seen as corrupt, self-serving and riven by in-fighting.
"They being Najib's men, will allow the party president to carry out his reform programme with ease," he said.
The leadership polls have furthered a tradition of Malaysian political clans. Hishammuddin is the son of former prime minister Hussein Onn, while Najib is the son and nephew of two past premiers.
Najib has promised a radical overhaul of UMNO, but pundits said his political baggage – including low popularity ratings and unsubstantiated allegations of corruption and links to a sensational murder – could weaken his position.
The opposition has said it fears his weak standing could see the party become more hardline, and outgoing premier Abdullah has warned UMNO against reverting to repressive tactics of past years.
- AFP/so
Najib was appointed president of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) Thursday, replacing Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who presided over its worst ever election performance in March 2008.
UMNO members holding their annual meeting this week had picked Abdullah allies for influential positions, including youth wing chief which was handed to his son-in-law.
But on Thursday delegates changed tack and picked Najib loyalists for party deputy president and its three vice-presidents, helping him exert his influence over the party which has been in crisis since the polls.
"It's a good line-up for Najib though it is still too early to say if his position is completely secure," said Yang Razali Kassim, an analyst from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.
"The new line-up will help Najib push through the reforms that he has been talking about... and revive the party that is in danger of being sent to the dustbin," he told AFP.
According to results announced at the meeting, Trade Minister Muhyiddin Yassin seized the post of UMNO deputy president, which traditionally carries with it the position of deputy prime minister.
Under Malaysia's turn-taking political tradition, he is now next in line for the nation's top job as head of the UMNO-led coalition after Najib, who served as deputy premier for the past six years.
The three vice-presidents – Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Hishammuddin Hussein and Mohamad Shafie Apdal – are all cabinet ministers and Najib loyalists.
The winning candidates, dressed in colourful batik shirts and clearly overjoyed by the clean sweep, held their hands aloft as the crowd of more than 2,000 party delegates cheered them on.
The celebratory mood continued Friday as UMNO delegates held a full-day debate aimed at charting their future after the polls which handed the opposition a third of seats in parliament.
"The young team is a good line-up for Malaysia but we are already behind time in getting things done that need to be done for the country," said Energy and Communications Minister Shaziman Abu Mansor.
Ahmad Said, chief minister of Terengganu state, said the party had sent a clear message by voting for a changing of the guard in the party – widely seen as corrupt, self-serving and riven by in-fighting.
"They being Najib's men, will allow the party president to carry out his reform programme with ease," he said.
The leadership polls have furthered a tradition of Malaysian political clans. Hishammuddin is the son of former prime minister Hussein Onn, while Najib is the son and nephew of two past premiers.
Najib has promised a radical overhaul of UMNO, but pundits said his political baggage – including low popularity ratings and unsubstantiated allegations of corruption and links to a sensational murder – could weaken his position.
The opposition has said it fears his weak standing could see the party become more hardline, and outgoing premier Abdullah has warned UMNO against reverting to repressive tactics of past years.
- AFP/so
