(3 Apr 2009) SHOTLIST
1. Wide of new Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak arriving at palace, accompanied by his wife Rosmah Mansor
2. Malaysian King, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin arriving
3. Close up of Abidin
4. Close up former Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
5. Close up Najib
6. Set-up of political analyst
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Syed Abdul Razak Alsagoff, Political analyst:
"Najib Razak has a different style of politics, whereby I feel that he will be able to hold this country together because among all the present generation of political leaders, Tansri Najib has the highest intellectual capability, and the capability to articulate well and I think the essence of being a leadership that is (to) always kept abreast of the latest economic, political and also technological requirements of this country."
8. Najib being sworn in as prime minister
9. SOUNDBITE (Malay) Najib Razak, Malaysian Prime Minister:
"I, Mohd Najib Razak, do solemnly swear not to tell anybody directly or indirectly anything that is known to me as prime minister."
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Maria Tan, Vox Pop, teacher:
"All of us should give him a chance, you know he should be proven and don't condemn him before he's even been able to start the day."
11. Najib signing letter of appointment
STORYLINE:
Malaysia's new Prime Minister Najib Razak took office on Friday, inheriting myriad challenges, including a flagging
economy, a racially divided society and a moribund ruling party.
The 55-year-old, British educated Najib replaced Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to become the country's sixth prime minister.
Abdullah resigned on Thursday - part of a power transition dictated by the ruling United Malays National
Organisation in the wake of massive losses in last year's general elections.
Najib's swearing-in ceremony took place in a simple ceremony at the national palace.
He wore traditional Malay dress, a black tunic and loose trousers with a knee-length gold embroidered cloth tied around the waist, and was accompanied by his wife, Rosmah.
Najib, who is expected to announce a new Cabinet line-up next week, faces a mammoth task ahead in healing the
country's politics, society and an economy heading for recession.
Analyst Syed Abdul Razak Alsagoff was optimistic about Najib's chances, praising his "new style" of politics.
Malaysia, Southeast Asia's third-largest economy, has been hit by a slew of depressing economic data in recent months.
Exports, the economy's mainstay, plunged 28 percent in January, the largest drop in 28 years.
More than 26-thousand people have already been laid off this year.
The economy is expected to shrink by 1 percent in 2009.
Najib, the son of Malaysia's second prime minister, also faces a belligerent opposition, which accuses him of
corruption in a deal to buy French submarines when he was defence minister.
It has also alleged he was linked to the killing of a Mongolian woman, who was the estranged lover of a close friend. Najib has denied the allegations.
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