No rift with Najib, says Pak Lah - The Star

By Shahanaaz Habib and Mazwin Nik Anis

PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has stressed that there is no rift between him and his deputy and that their relationship is good.

“I have the best of relationships with deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib (Tun Razak). Why are you asking me this?” he said when responding to questions Tuesday after announcing the new Cabinet line-up.

Asked why his deputy was not present at the press conference, the Prime Minister retorted that Najib had not yet been sworn in as the Deputy Prime Minister.

“He will be the DPM only tomorrow. You want to read into so many things?” he said.

He also came to the defence of his deputy, saying that the opposition’s allegations on corruption against Najib were baseless.

“There is no proof and nothing to show that Najib is involved in any corrupt activities. One can always make all sorts of allegations. And you know that the person making all these allegations is also not free from allegations and accusations.”

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/3/18/nation/20080318194245&sec=nation]