Ex-Malaysia PM Najib's deputy takes over his party

World
Europe

Ousted Malaysian leader Najib Razak's party has chosen his former deputy as its new leader, party officials said Sunday, after a shocking May election loss broke its decades-old political reign.

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, 65, was elected president of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) after defeating two former ministers.

Official results saw Hamidi receive 78 nominations from the party's 191 divisions, against Khairy Jamaluddin's 53 and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah's 28.

May 10, 2018: Two men stand in front of a wall of pictures of Malaysian leaders at the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) in Kuala Lumpur. /VCG Photo

Former prime minister Najib's long-ruling coalition, long dogged by corruption allegations, lost the May 9 elections to a reformist alliance headed by Mahathir Mohamad.

Najib quit as UMNO president days later, and now faces an anti-graft probe over allegations that billions of dollars were looted from sovereign wealth fund 1MDB.

Both Najib and the fund have denied any wrongdoing.

The coveted presidency of UMNO once meant a clear path to become prime minister.

But UMNO, which led the former ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, saw key allies desert it and in favor of Mahathir's Pact of Hope alliance.

(Cover: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Malaysia's former deputy prime minister and then acting president of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), speaks to reporters during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur on May 14, 2018. /VCG Photo)

(With input from AFP)