Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is glad he was wrong because he thought Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would not be stepping down as Umno president and prime minister.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will hold a news conference Thursday (9 Oct) in Terengganu to answer queries on the transition of power between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and him.

The media were Wednesday (8 Oct) given a gag order by the Sessions Court hearing Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy case, preventing them from reporting the contents of exhibits in connection with the "black-eye" incident.

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will not defend his post as Umno president and will step down as Prime Minister in March next year.

The defence team in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy case Wednesday (8 Oct) questioned why the prosecution was very eager to move the case to the High Court for trial.

The outgoing Gerakan youth chief Mah Siew Keong said he would suggest again to abandon the Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties and form a single multiracial party during the national delegates conference this Friday (10 Oct).

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi suddenly announced on 25 September that the UMNO elections originally scheduled in December would now be postponed to next March.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has decided not to seek re-election in the UMNO elections next March.

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Monday (6 Oct) he will announce Tuesday (7 Oct) or on Wednesday (8 Oct) whether he will defend the post of Umno president at the party elections in March next year.

Each year on the last Thursday before the end of the Ramadan fasting month, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi leads evening vigil prayers that stretch till dawn the next day.