KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi officially announced his decision not to defend his Umno presidency in March, thus effectively giving up his premiership then.

Making the announcement after chairing the Barisan Nasional supreme council meeting at the PWTC yesterday, he listed five initiatives, which he called his mission, that he intended "to see through" before leaving office.

They are:

>ESTABLISHING the Judicial Appointments Commission to enhance the stature of the judiciary;

>ESTABLISHING the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission with greater powers of investigation and enforcement;

>ESTABLISHING the Special Complaints Commission to enhance the integrity and effectiveness of enforcement agencies;

>STRENGTHENING and enlarging the Social Safety Net to ensure aid to all, regardless of race and religion;

and

>HOLDING a Barisan Nasional convention to improve inter-racial and inter-religious relations.

Abdullah also acknowledged Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as his successor and believed that his present deputy would get the support of the component parties.

It is learnt that the Umno general assembly is scheduled to be held in the third week of March 2009.