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Malaysia's Badawi pledges to bolster judiciary and fight graft
Malaysia's prime minister has insisted that his plan for a protracted power transfer will restore political calm and enable him to fulfill promises to curb corruption and strengthen the judiciary.
- AP
- Published: 00:08 July 14, 2008
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Malaysia's prime minister has insisted that his plan for a protracted power transfer will restore political calm and enable him to fulfill promises to curb corruption and strengthen the judiciary.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's comments on Saturday, reported by Bernama news agency, came as his government mounted one of its biggest crackdowns on corruption, detaining top immigration officials suspected of accepting bribes.
Badawi's critics have accused him of failing to deliver on reform pledges, but he said he hopes to achieve results before handing power to his deputy in mid-2010.
Badawi said his leadership transfer plan - an effort to resolve the political crisis facing his Cabinet since a major electoral setback in March - should put most politicians at ease ahead of the ruling party's internal elections in coming months.
"When I made the decision [to hand over power in 2010], it means there will be less infighting, there will be less campaigning against one another," Badawi was quoted as saying.
He denied trying to cling to office, saying the two-year transition would give his deputy, Najib Razak, time to prepare to take over and to spearhead the government's efforts to regain lost ground ahead of general elections due by mid-2013.
Badawi said he will utilise his remaining time in office and "not slow down".
Badawi was among Malaysia's most popular figures when he succeeded longtime leader Mahathir Mohammad in 2003, but his reputation had eroded badly by the time he led the ruling coalition to its worst-ever performance in March general elections.
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