By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Najib Tun Razak, son of a former premier, was sworn in Friday morning as Malaysia’s sixth prime minister.
He took over from Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who stepped down after leading the country for over five years. Badawi made way for Razak well before the end of his second term, marking a smooth political transition in the prosperous Southeast Asian nation.
Razak, 55, took his oath of office before Yang di Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, the royal head of the state.
Dressed in traditional black baju melayu (shirt) complete with sampan (a waist band), Razak was administered the oath of secrecy, loyalty and confidentiality.
The entire ceremony was steeped in Malaysian traditions, Star Onine said.
The swearing in ceremony was witnessed by Badawi and his predecessor Mahathir Mohamad.
Razak was born in Kuala Lipis, Pahang, July 23, 1953. He is the eldest son of the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, the nation’s second prime minister.
His appointment is significant in the country’s history as this is the first time that a former prime minister’s son is holding the post, Bernama, the official news agency said.
Razak became the country’s youngest member of parliament at the age of 22 when he won the Pekan seat unopposed in a by-election following his father’s death.
He then went from strength to strength in politics and government to reach the pinnacle, being elected president of the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) last week that paved the way to his becoming the prime minister.