KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 1): Scandal-tainted Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak vowed to fight to the end for Malays and Islam on Thursday, as he called on his ruling party to prepare for elections that are "coming soon". Addressing the annual meeting of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), Najib set the tone for early polls and warned of "nightmares" if the ethnic Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party (DAP) opposition group came to power. "We pledge to fight to the end and to the last drop of blood, even if our lives are lost," Najib told a cheering crowd. Najib was particularly critical of Mahathir, who the prime minister said has abandoned the party by consorting with the opposition and pro-democracy group Bersih, among other organisations. In a racial charged hour-long speech, Najib warned that Islam will be belittled if DAP came to power and Malays must fear the "adverse effects" and "nightmares" that they may face.

Source: The Edge Markets December 01, 2016 06:07 UTC