TAWAU: The Kalabakan Umno division has agreed to nominate Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for the post of president and Datuk Seri Najib Razak as deputy president in the party elections in December.

Division head Datuk Seri Abdul Ghapur Salleh said he was confident the other 24 divisions in Sabah would also endorse Abdullah and Najib for the party's top two positions.

"We hope both leaders will continue to lead the country until the handover from Abdullah to Najib in June 2010," he said after meeting Kalabakan division branch heads here on Saturday night.

He said solid support from party members was important in ensuring Umno remained strong.

In Alor Star, Bernama reports that the Kubang Pasu Umno division has pledged full support for Abdullah and Najib to retain their positions as party president and deputy president respectively.


Division chief, Datuk Mohd Johari Baharum, said the pledge was to ensure the tradition of continuity in the party's leadership.

"We fully support whatever decision is taken by the party's apex leadership on the matter," Mohd Johari said after chairing a meeting of Kedah's Federal Action Council at Ampang Jajar in Alor Star yesterday.