Delay Najib's appointment !

All 81 Pakatan Rakyat members of parliament have submitted a petition to the king to appeal for the postponement of Najib Abdul Razak's appointment as the prime minister.

Eighty-one Opposition members of parliament (MPs) have signed a petition urging the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to delay the appointment of Datuk Seri Najib Razak as prime minister until his reputation has been cleared by an independent commission.

"The office of Prime Minister is the highest office in our country, and represents the nation's self-respect. Such an important office should be given to a chosen individual who is clean and does not have his or her integrity in question," said the letter addressed to Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, yesterday.

The letter was signed by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, and DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang, as well as 78 other MPs that represent the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

The letter cited national scandals that have implicated the incoming prime minister, including the commission of Scorpene submarines from France, and "the murder of a Mongolian woman", a reference to the case of Altantuya Shaariibuu. The letter affirmed that these issues "have been spread all over the world, and covered by newspapers and magazines internationally".

"It is very reasonable for Seri Paduka Baginda to delay the appointment of the new Prime Minister until all the allegations are investigated by an Independent Commission, and his name cleared, so that our country's honour is maintained," the letter said.

At 10am today, outgoing prime minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had an audience with the Agong at Istana Negara, to hand over his resignation letter. "It is up to the King whether he accepts my resignation," Abdullah told reporters after the meeting. Later that morning, Najib himself had an audience with the King.