Powerful regional leaders from ruling party Umno are demanding Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi step down before it holds leadership elections in December.

They also warned Abdullah that he would lose if he stood for re-election.

The latest call to quit came from leaders in Johor, who have emerged as major power brokers in Umno.

pak lah abdullah ahmad badawi putrajaya malaysia Abdullah has came under pressure to quit after March 8 elections when he led the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition to its worst election defeat in history.

The Umno-led coalition lost its two-thirds majority in parliament and control of five states in the general elections, in the worst performance of its half-century rule over Malaysia.

The Umno division of Batu Pahat, a district in Johor state, at a meeting Saturday urged Abdullah to resign before December over the ruling coalition's dismal election performance.

"This is what the people want. At the meeting, many voiced their dissatisfaction against the leadership and agreed that a change in power was necessary to save the party," Puad Zarkashi, Johor Umno information chief, was quoted as saying by the New Sunday Times .

Meanwhile, Mukhriz Mahathir, the son of former leader Dr Mahathir Mohamad, said Abdullah must quit soon to avoid a contest for the top post in Umno as it would further split Umno.

"It will allow the party to close ranks and go about reclaiming its political pride which was battered (in the March election)," he was quoted as saying by the Sunday Star newspaper.

Abdullah has said that he would not quit suddenly and would seek re-election for the Umno president's post.

The Umno president traditionally holds the post of prime minister.

Hishammuddin should resign

umno 2007 pemuda keris 061107 Meanwhile the Star Online today reported that many Umno leaders in Johor want the party’s Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein to resign over the keris issue which they said had adversely affected BN in the recent general election.

An influential local leader Kadar Shah Tun Sulaiman Ninam Shah was quoted as saying that about 90 branch and 25 divisional leaders made the call today after Hishammuddin had admitted the keris issue was among the causes of Barisan's poor performance in the March 8 polls.

Kadar Shah said that Hishammuddin should not merely admit his mistake but also should resign from all party and government posts.

Kadar Shah said that having a been a cabinet minister for several terms, Hishammuddin should have known that brandishing the keris could hurt the feelings of other races.

Hishammuddin on Friday apologised for brandishing the keris in the past three Umno annual general meetings.

-AFP