Earlier this week, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi gave up the presidency of the United Malays National Organization party, the party that leads the ruling National Front coalition, to Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak.

In keeping with tradition, the party chief also becomes the prime minister.

"I wish to retire with a feeling of peace. I want to carry no negative emotions with me," Abdullah said, choking with emotion in a speech to wrap up the annual party congress.

"I believe the new leadership lineup will bring the desired change and strengthen our party to return it to the people's hearts," he said, liberally quoting from the Quran in a 30-minute speech.

Abdullah said he will meet Malaysia's king, who is the constitutional monarch, on April 2 to convey "my intention to relinquish my responsibility as the prime minister of Malaysia." He said a ceremony to hand over the reins of the government to be Najib will be held later but gave no date.

It has been widely speculated in the local media that Najib will take office on April 3.

The five-day UMNO congress elected top office bearers, most of them allies of Najib, who will find places in his Cabinet. But the debates and speeches also became a virtual soul-searching for the party to pinpoint the reasons for its plunging popularity.

They acknowledged what many Malaysians have been saying: UMNO is a party of corrupt and power-hungry politicians. The party is also accused of subverting the judiciary, the police force, the bureaucracy and discriminating against the Chinese and Indian minorities.

Abdullah, in his opening address to the congress on Tuesday, also gave a frank assessment: The party had become drunk with power and believed it could remain popular by suppressing dissent, jailing opponents and discriminating against minorities.

"We must come to our senses," Abdullah had warned. "UMNO faces a life and death situation — one that concerns our future and survival."

Abdullah took office in 2003, replacing longtime prime minister Mahathir Mohamad amid great hopes that he would reform the party, the judiciary and the government. He was credited with allowing people to criticize the government, and loosening controls over the media. But his much vaunted promises to end corruption brought no results.

Also, critics within the party said the freedoms he allowed led to a groundswell of support for the opposition, which dealt a heavy blow to the National Front in the March 2008 elections. The Front failed to win its traditional two-thirds majority in Parliament for the first time in 40 years and also lost control of five states, its worst result ever since taking power after independence in 1957.

On Saturday, Abdullah apologized profusely for his shortcomings, and in speeches earlier many party leaders paid handsome tributes to Abdullah for stepping down in the interest of the party.