Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi took the oath of office for a second five-year term today, defying calls to quit in the wake of the ruling coalition's worst ever electoral performance in five decades.

Wearing a black traditional Malay attire, Abdullah, 68, was sworn in at a ceremony at the royal a palace which was attended by King Mizan Zainal Abidin, the Queen and scores of dignitaries.

"I pledge to carry out my duties honestly and with all my abilities," said Abdullah, whose Barisan Nasional won only 140 seats in the 222-member Parliament, failing to get a two-thirds majority, and was defeated in five of the 13 states.

"I pledge to protect and uphold the Constitution," Abdullah, who arrived at the palace with his wife Jeanne, said, reading the oath.

The opposition alliance of three parties, including the Islamist PAS, won 82 seats, a massive jump from its 19 seats in the outgoing house. PAS scored shock victories in Kedah and Perak and easily retained power in Kelantan state.

The stunning result was the worst electoral peformance of the ruling coalition in its 51-year-rule following Malaysia's independence from Britain in 1957 and has been attributed to the growing discontent among minority Indians and Chinese.

The prime minister's predecessor and mentor Mahathir Mohammed yesterday joined the chorus pressing for his ouster saying Abdullah had "destroyed" his party and that he regretted choosing him as his successor.
Source : PTI