Abdullah Ahmad was acutely aware of his shaky position when he took over in Nov 2003. On one hand, his formidable predecessor Mahathir Mohammad was watching him from behind, while the powerful Najib Razak remained an immediate threat to his Umno presidency.

He never favoured Najib from day one. His ideal successor - pundits believed - was Muhyiddin Yassin. True to his pendulous character, Abdullah kept Najib waiting for two months before making him deputy. With Mahathir and much of the Umno membership behind Najib - Abdullah chickened out.