By Reme Ahmad, Assistant Foreign Editor

A CONFRONTATION is looming in Umno over the issue of Malaysia's leadership transition.

In a sign that there has been no let-up in backroom efforts to push out Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi earlier than March, his deputy, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, has said Umno chiefs will meet next Thursday to discuss bringing back the party's internal elections to December.

'We will answer all these questions on the 30th. For now, there is no change to the date (of the Umno elections),' he said on Tuesday.

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