He's staying

Pak Lah is staying put. He's not leaving sooner than 2010 as speculated by some. Some even said that it could be as early as 9 October. That is an utter rubbish because it's only a date when Umno division meetings will convene.

In July when Pak Lah announced the transfer of power to his deputy, Najib Tun Razak in 2010, he said that it would give them both sometime to complete various projects and programmes which they've planned together.

However, last Thursday, Pak Lah handover the finance portfolio to Najib while he takes over the Defence Ministry from his deputy.

My first take, the warning made by Malaysian Armed Forces chief, General Abdul Aziz Zainal about the racial issues sparked by the then Bukit Bendera's Umno division chief, Ahmad Ismail may have sent jitters to Pak Lah. Is he afraid of military coup if he did not take it over from Najib?

It is very rare for an armed forces chief to make a remark in relation to the country's political situation. We have never been under a military rule. It was something of concern when Aziz made that remark. But he assured us that the armed forces will remain apolitical.

But then Pak Lah also said, he will leave office with a sound economy so that Najib will not have any problems.

Now that the world economy is looking gloomy, the finance portfolio is handed over to Najib. Why? So that Najib can be blamed if our economy slides down? Is this the kind of leader we want? When the going gets rough, he just finds a scapegoat?

I can only hope that the people in Umno can just forget about giving Pak Lah the nominations to contest for the top post this December. That is the only way to get him to step down.

After all, despite the transition plan, Najib has said that it should be decided by the Umno delegates when they start their division meets from 9 October.