TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will meet Wanita Umno leaders upon returning from his working trip abroad to find an immediate solution to the power transition plan in the women's wing.

The Umno president, who returns on Friday, expressed concern that there might be a split in the wing if its top post was contested.

He said he had been told that Wanita Umno was facing problems with a leadership transition issue and seemed to be in a dilemma because there were many members apparently unhappy that there would be a contest for the wing's presidency.

"I do not want to see infighting in the wing. I do not want to see a divided Wanita Umno," he told Malaysian reporters on Monday at the sidelines of his three-day official working visit to Uzbekistan.

Abdullah, who is also Prime Minister, was asked to comment on the leadership transition plan mooted by Wanita chief Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, who said she would hand the top post over to her deputy Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil in June next year, three months after the party's annual general assembly.

But the wing's executive committee member Datuk Kamilia Ibrahim announced her bid for the post of deputy after qualifying for it.

Kamilia had said there was no provision in Umno's constitution for leadership transitions and neither was it a party practice.

On Sunday, Shahrizat made an about turn when she urged Rafidah to hand over power in March.

The wing's executive council rejected this and urged Shahrizat to stick to the earlier plan.

Abdullah said he was not throwing his support behind any candidate.

"I do not want members to speculate that I am supporting a particular candidate. I am doing this because I want the wing to remain united," he said.

Abdullah said he was also saddened by what was happening in the wing and hoped to find an amicable solution quickly.

He said that initially he did not wish to get involved in the power transition issue and hoped that the wing's members would solve matters on their own but that did not happen.

On other matters, Abdullah said he had asked AirAsia chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes to look into the viability of providing a direct air link between Kuala Lumpur and Tashkent.

"I told him of the opportunities here and he said AirAsia would study this immediately.

"It will be good if a Malaysian carrier can also provide air services to this part of the world," he said.

The only direct link between both capitals is provided by Uzbekistan Airways, which has been flying the route twice weekly since 1996.

Abdullah said Malaysia was also prepared to take in more students from Uzbekistan for tertiary education. At present, there are some 70 students from here studying in Malaysia.