KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak should be feeling on top of the world.
He is the Umno president and has his dream team in the party.
He will also be the Prime Minister before the coming week is out.
And he got his two squabbling predecessors to at least shake hands and smile for the cameras.
But that was just in the huge Dewan Merdeka in the Putra World Trade Centre where the 59th Umno General Assembly anointed Najib to the post his father once held.
Outside the hall, the slew of allegations, particularly Mongolian beauty Altantuya Shaariibuu's death, that have dogged him over the past few years continued to snap at his heels.
"God willing, we'll manage the allegations," Najib said.
"They are malicious, baseless lies. I have given my replies. They persist because it is an opposition ploy."
He repeated the same answers to the same questions, finally snapping: "We'll handle it. We'll deal with it."
When asked if his reply — "we'll deal with it" — was an ominous sign given speculation that he would be cracking down on democratic space, Najib protested.
"Give me a chance. Judge me by my actions. Don't judge me on rumours and baseless allegations. I will reform and I will make changes.
"I am aware that the people expect me to do certain things. Why do you form this judgment about me? This is a judgment that is not fair because you are pre-judging somebody before I even take office.
"You are not being fair if you pre-judge somebody. Please judge me by my actions. My actions will come in due course. I have not even taken office yet. I only ask that I be treated fairly by the press."
The foreign press, including wire services and newspapers in France, Australia and the US, has been taking an added interest in Najib as the date he becomes prime minister approaches.
Invariably, this has led to them exploring the allegations linking him to the murder of Altantuya.
The Pakatan Rakyat has also been relentless in raising the issue, in gatherings, websites and in Parliament.
Earlier this month, the DAP's Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo was suspended for one year from the Dewan Rakyat for accusing the deputy prime minister of being involved in the Altantuya crime and for disrespecting the Speaker of the House.
Asked if he saw the three upcoming by-elections on April 7 as a referendum on his leadership, Najib said they were not a good indication.
"The only referendum are general elections."
He also hinted that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will have a role to play in Umno which will be announced later.
"Tun Mahathir's presence indicates that there could be a closing of the ranks and a new togetherness in the party.
"Hopefully that will inspire the party to move forward with our agenda for reform," he said.
He also spoke about race relations which he said could improve.
"There are certain issues that tend to crop up from time to time. But basically, Malaysians are more matured now. They understand we need to live together in harmony. We can have differences in opinion.
"Some issues may be sensitive issues, but at the end of the day, we need to find a way to resolve such issues and to move forward with nation building and take Malaysia to greater heights."
But he declined to answer whether he will relinquish the post of finance minister once made prime minister.
He also refused to speculate about calling for snap polls to get his own mandate.
"There is a feeling among people that there is too much politics in Malaysia, that we have been sidetracked on the most important issue which is economic recovery."
Najib added that he has confidence in the new line-up of party leaders and that they will be able to support him and work as a team.
"We make the best of the people the party has chosen.
"I am optimistic that people will support Umno on the condition that what we promise, we deliver. People are going to judge us not on what we say, but on our actions, and how we deliver on the basis of promises we made.
"We have promised to make reforms, we have promised to make changes and we will deliver that," he concluded.
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Put him as Malaysia PM we will feel ashame to be Malaysian.