Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi took the oath of office for a new five-year term yesterday, rejecting calls to resign after unprecedented electoral setbacks wiped out the ruling coalition's two-thirds majority and shook the political landscape and the stock market.
Abdullah was sworn in at a simple, nationally broadcast ceremony in front of the constitutional monarch, King Mizan Zainal Abidin, and dozens of dignitaries in the national palace's glittering throne room.
"I pledge to carry out my duties honestly and with all my abilities," Abdullah said, reading out the oath. "I pledge to protect and uphold the Constitution."
He smiled occasionally and mingled with guests after the ceremony, belying the stress of the last two days when he was confronted with the biggest political crisis of his life.
His National Front ruling coalition secured a fresh mandate in Saturday's general elections, but lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority and relinquished control of five of the 13 states to opposition parties.
The opposition alliance now has 82 seats in the 222 member parliament, a massive jump from its 19 seats in the outgoing house.
Abdullah got a much-needed vote of support from his United Malays National Organization to stay on as both party president and prime minister at a special meeting of the party yesterday, despite calls from former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad to quit.
But he has an enormous task ahead in holding together his battered coalition and filling holes in his Cabinet -- four ministers lost seats in the weekend election, including Works Minister S. Samy Vellu, the head of the main Indian party in the coalition.
A key partner, the Malaysian Chinese Association, dismissed speculation that it might pull out of the coalition.
Sources close to Abdullah said he had canceled plans to attend next week's Organization of the Islamic Conference summit in Senegal -- he was to hand over chairmanship of the 57-member grouping -- to deal with the crisis at home.
"A two-party system seems likely to evolve from the outcome of this general election," wrote Wong Chun Wai, the editor of the pro-government Star daily, in his newspaper yesterday.
Also see: Asia stocks fall on reports of dip in US employment
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