88. PM and DPM face to face

BREAKING NEWS, 10.30am

Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi and Datuk Seri Najib are having a private meeting once again today to discuss the transition plans, which may include the possibility of the Prime Minister handing over the reins before 2010.

Today's discussions follow an Umno management committee meeting yesterday chaired by Najib, and which was attended by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, Tengku Adnan Mansor, Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam and Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib.

It is understood that members of the management committee were sworn to secrecy after leaks from last week's supreme council meeting caused turmoil.

It was reported that Abdullah, the Umno president, came under severe pressure from his party colleagues to quit during that meeting.

Despite the constant reassurances from Najib that he would stick by the transition plan, which is for Abdullah to hand over power by 2010, the pressure has grown from a number of senior party leaders, as well as from significant numbers among the grassroots, for Abdullah to step down sooner.

Sources told The Malaysian Insider today that some party officials have started floating the idea of postponing the party polls from December to next June.

Such an equation would include having Abdullah hand over power by the middle of next year as well.

This would avoid a potentially bruising and bitter struggle for the party, with Najib then taking over as Umno president and Prime Minister in a smooth, and probably unchallenged, manner.

But such a proposal may still not go down well.

It comes at a time when both Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad have accused Abdullah and Najib of turning the party into their own personal property.

The two veteran leaders are of the opinion that members should be given a chance to decide who their leaders are - The Malaysian Insider / Malaysiakini.