Anwar scoffs at Pak Lah's handover timeline

malaysianinsider | Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim poured scorn on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's plan to hand over the reins to his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Razak in 2010.

"Umno leaders have told me that if he even stays beyond this December, they will fight him," he told a crowd of thousands that overflowed an empty field that had gathered in Kampung Ismail here late last night.

Arriving at 10.10pm and permanently minded by some 20 security officers, the Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader also made a grand prediction that the Malaysian economy would collapse in two months due to stagnant growth and inflation.

"If changes are not made, especially to reduce fuel prices, our economy will collapse. Small and medium-sized enterprises will suffer and we will experience what economists call 'stagflation'," he told a crowd that had waited since 8pm for him to arrive.

He also explained that the federal opposition's application for a motion of no confidence against the prime minister filed yesterday was more important than Abdullah's handover date, as this would bring the opposition Pakatan Rakyat into power sooner than the Barisan Nasional's succession plan.... selanjutnya.