CABINET RESHUFFLE STILL UNCLEAR

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 (Bernama) -- Whether there will be a Cabinet reshufle
still remains hazy as Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has admitted not
having decided on the matter.

Abdullah told a press conference at the Parliament building here Thursday
that he was not certain whether to make a Cabinet reshuffle or not.

Abdullah, during his official visit to Turkmenistan in November, did not
dismiss the possibility of making a Cabinet reshuffle involving filling up the
vacant posts and making changes to some of the portfolios soon.

Asked to comment on a blogsite report that he would not be handing over his
post to his deputy Najib Razak in March, Abdullah said he had been hearing all
kinds of rumours about himself.

"How do they know?. It's just a rumour. I have been an object of rumours
for a long time until now," he said.

Abdullah is expected to hand over the premiership to Najib next March in
accordance with the power transition plan as agreed in United Malays National
Organisation (Umno), the party leading the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

On his mission before stepping down and how to achieve it, Abdullah said he
was focusing on the economy, race relations and religious conflicts.

"We all know that racial and religious issues are sensitive issues and if
they are not handled properly, they can spread and create various adverse
possibilities.

"So, they must be given attention and I had stated before that I wanted to
deal with these issues if time permitted me to do so. It is good if there is a
mechanism to deal with arising racial and religious issues from time to time to
avoid conflicts among different believers," he said.

Besides that, Abdullah said, he wanted to ensure that the people had enough
food supply.

"Let us have enough food. It's okay if we can't buy new clothes, new cars
and new sofas, but the people must have enough food. That's important.

"Secondly, the people must feel peace and not fear or their positions being
threatened. I want the people to feel safe from any threats.

"If all this can be ensured for the people, we can concentrate on other
areas that can give us strength," he said.

Abdullah said the passing of two Bills in the Dewan Rakyat (Lower House of
Parliament) on corruption and judicial appoinments could restore public
confidence in the country's anti-corruption agency and judicial institution.

Expressing his happiness over the passing of the two Bills, he said with
the
existence of bodies with higher integrity, the people would be more confident of
their effectiveness.

On Wednesday, the Lower House passed the Malaysian Anti-Corruption
Commission (MACC) Bill 2008 and Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) Bill
2008.

These two Bills are expected to be tabled in the Dewan Negara (Senate) soon
for the Bills to be passed to enable them to be gazetted and implemented next
year.

Abdullah said the passing of the two Bills in the Dewan Rakyat showed the
strong support of the MPs, particularly from the Barisan Nasional (BN)
Backbenchers Club members.

He dismissed as mere perception, the claim by some Member of Parliaments
(MPs), especially from the opposition, that the JAC Bill went against the
Federal Constitution.

He was, however, confident that the people would understand and give their
cooperation to government's efforts to check corruption and create a more
transparent process in the appointment of court judges.
-- BERNAMA