Badawi quits in favor of deputy

Malaysia's prime minister resigned yesterday after 5 1/2 years of rule, clearing the way for his deputy to take power to deal with the mammoth task of rebuilding the economy and the ruling party's shattered reputation.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi submitted his resignation to the king, the constitutional monarch. The king accepted the resignation and will swear in Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak as leader today, said the chief secretary to the government, Sidek Hassan.

But the carefully planned transition hit a snag when all 81 opposition lawmakers in Parliament sent a petition to the king, asking him to delay Najib's swearing-in until he has been cleared of allegations of corruption and links to a murder case.