Najib ‘not easy’ to displace as Malaysia PM

“I think Najib can get things done better than Abdullah,” Mr Lim said. However, political observers say the opposition does have a chance of victory in the next election, which must be held before June 2013.

By Kevin Brown in Singapore, Financial Times

Najib Razak, who became Malaysia’s prime minister in April, has proved to be a more effective political leader than his predecessor and will be difficult to displace, according to a senior opposition official.

Looking to Malaysia’s next general election, Lim Guan Eng, chief minister of the state of Penang and secretary-general of the Democratic Action party, told the Financial Times: “There is a chance [of the opposition winning a parliamentary majority], but it is not going to be easy. It is probably harder under Najib than under Abdullah [Badawi].”

Mr Abdullah, who became prime minister in 2003, handed power to his deputy Mr Najib in part to take responsibility for the unprecedented electoral gains by the DAP and its two coalition allies last year.

Mr Najib has sought to recover support for the ruling coalition from ethnic Chinese and Indian voters through reducing preferential treatment for ethnic Malays and more broadly by speaking out against corruption, freeing political prisoners and focusing campaigning resources on winnable seats.

Also, last week he announced an inquiry into an alleged scandal involving funding for a big port project near Kuala Lumpur.

“I think Najib can get things done better than Abdullah,” Mr Lim said.

However, political observers say the opposition does have a chance of victory in the next election, which must be held before June 2013. Mahathir Mohamad, who was prime minister for 22 years before handing over to Mr Abdullah, wrote on his blog last week that the ruling National Front was heading for “the rubbish heap of history” unless its performance improved rapidly.

Mr Lim’s comments also contrast with the aggressive rhetoric of Anwar Ibrahim, the former deputy prime minister, who leads the opposition coalition and has suggested that the government could be forced out before the next election by defections from its parliamentary ranks.

The opposition coalition has 83 seats in the lower house of the 222-seat parliament and needs to win 29 more to take power from the National Front, which has ruled Malaysia since independence from the UK in 1957.