To his credit, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has resisted Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's intense and not-too-subtle pressure to name his (Abdullah's) deputy. Mahathir has made it all too clear that he prefers current Defence Minster Najib Tun Razak to be that person.

Abdullah is wise to ignore Mahathir. He should go further and bypass completely the next generation of Umno leaders. They are all cut from the same cloth, having been weaned on "money politics." Instead Abdullah should go directly to the younger set.

Unfortunately as Mahathir has neglected talent development in the party, there will be slim pickings. Abdullah would be better off to select someone from his generation to be his deputy, and together they should develop the next crop of leaders. That should be their top joint priority.

Abdullah should do what George Bush Jr did in picking Richard Cheney as his running mate. By doing so Bush acknowledged his limitations. The experienced Cheney, by reasons of age and health, cannot possibly succeed or challenge Bush.

Abdullah should choose someone whose skills and experience would complement his. Again, the choice is limited. Among the credible ones would be Rafidah Aziz, Musa Hitam, and Tengku Razaleigh or better known as Ku Li. Abdullah himself is affectionately referred to as Pak Lah.

My choice would be Ku Li. He brings vast experience and expertise in business and finance, precisely the areas that Abdullah is lacking.

Choosing Rafidah would bring a historical dimension, the possibility of a first woman prime minister.

The problem would then be that the ambitious lady would take seriously her destiny with history, and be tempted to upstage him. Stated differently, Rafidah does not play number two very well. The same could be said of Musa Hitam.

Abdullah should not expect or want Ku Li to be the traditional deputy, that is, someone always deferring to the boss and patiently waiting for his turn.

Rather he should be treated and considered as an associate or co-prime minster, fully using his talent and experience for the good of the nation.

Seasoned figures

This is a tricky proposition, for the ship of state can have but one skipper. Poorly handled and it could result in continuous conflict at the highest level. Malaysia has been through that with the disastrous Mahathir-Anwar rivalry. Skillfully managed, the nation would benefit immensely from the complement of talent and experience of its two most seasoned and senior statesmen.

I envision something out of my profession. Modern surgery is increasingly complex, requiring the skills and contributions from the various specialties. Take breast cancer. Often the patient wants the cancer surgery combined with reconstructive procedure done at the same time to minimize the psychological trauma.

This requires the combined and complementary skills of both the general and plastic surgeons. Such instances of co-surgeons operating on the same patient simultaneously are becoming increasingly common.

Yes, conflicts and differences of opinions do arise, but they are resolved through discussions and compromises, always keeping uppermost the patient's best interest. There is no place in today's highly complex operating suites for prima donnas strutting imperiously and expecting everyone to kow tow to them.

We see similar co-leadership arrangements in complex organisations. Microsoft has Bill Gates as its chairperson, and Steve Ballmer its chief executive. You do not see them scheming to topple one another or jostling to grab the limelight. They are both confident of their own considerable abilities. Besides, they have enough on their own plate without having to bother the other.

Abdullah could split the prime minister's office into two: domestic and foreign. By experience and temperament, Abdullah would be eminently qualified to handle domestic issues. His religious pedigree and personal piety could help bridge the deepening polarisation of the Malays.

Behind Ku Li in '87

Ku Li brings considerable experience in finance. Foreign affairs today, from settling the water issues with Singapore to negotiating free trade agreements with Japan and America, frequently revolve around finance and economics. Pak Lah would be out of his element in such situations; there is no point in pretending otherwise. That is where Ku Li would come in handy.

Pak Lah supported Ku Li in his previous leadership tussle with Mahathir, indicating that Pak Lah has considerable confidence in this man. Ku Li has also been out of the government for some time and thus not tarred by charges of corruption and cronyism. He is however, not without his blemishes; he has yet to give a full accounting of his role in the Bank Bumiputra debacle. His breaking from Umno when he lost to Mahathir was churlish.

A tradition has it that long before Mohammad (peace be upon him) received his prophethood, he was asked to mediate a conflict among the Bedouins. It was over who should have the honor of restoring to its place the revered Black Stone when they were rebuilding the Ka'aba.

Sensing the enormity of the challenge and the tragic consequences should anyone felt slighted, he brilliantly suggested that the participants lay out a carpet and put the stone in the center. Then together they would lift the stone from whence Mohammad would place it on its original spot. Everyone was pleased as they all shared equally in the honor.

The prophet intuitively knew that honor is never diminished when shared; on the contrary, it is enhanced. By sharing the power and prestige of the prime minister's office with Ku Li, Pak Lah would enhance the office as well as his honor.

Remove these leaders

Abdullah must not only bypass the next generation of leaders, he must also remove them from his cabinet. It is time for them to leave and give others a chance. If Najib, Rafidah and Muhyiddin are as good as they believe they are, they should have no difficulty in securing a comfortable private sector position. Should they decide to re-enter politics later, the hiatus, by broadening their experience, would serve them well.

Najib barely squeaked through in the last election, despite inheriting his famous father's seat and aura. He has yet to explain fully the Al-Maunah fiasco and the circumstances that led to such a lethal breakdown of discipline in the armed forces. As education minister he approved hundreds of private colleges, including a medical school that did not even have laboratory or clinical facilities.

Muhyiddin has a less tarnished image and a purportedly enhanced religious reputation. But like Najib, he has minimal private sector experience. As a cabinet minister he has been too preoccupied with monitoring the retail price of sugar and DVDs.

As for Muhammad Muhd Taib, the third of the Umno vice-presidents, what can one say of someone who was caught with millions in cash in his back pocket?

If he cannot appreciate such modern financial amenities as cashier's cheques and wire transfers of funds, then he has no right to lead a modern nation.

Malaysia is now ready for a substantial change in leadership style. Having a co-prime minister would be a refreshing break from the prolonged one-man show we have had with Mahathir.