Premier-in-waiting Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is still struggling hard to decide who will be his deputy, given his reluctance to appoint Najib as suggested by Mahathir. Abdullah's fate will depend how cleverly he manouevres his way around, after the old man retires in October.

But when M Bakri Musa suggested Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah as Abdullah' s deputy, I found the idea rather intriguing.

Ku Li has always dreamt that he would be the prime minister one day, and not the deputy premier. He would never dream of sharing power with Abdullah or anyone else. Ku Li is a shrewd politician, and like Wanita chief Rafidah Aziz, does not play No. 2 too well.

To make Ku Li an associate or co-prime minister would be disastrous for Abdullah, even though Ku Li has talent and experience which could be useful.

Bakri likens the Abdullah-Ku Li relationship to that between George Bush Jr and Richard Cheney - blending experience and talent in running a government. But the American tradition of governance differs from ours. American democracy limits the presidency to two terms only (eight years), before the president is legally required to step down.

But Malaysian democracy allows the prime minister to remain in office as long as he can. If Abdullah decides to stay on for a decade as prime minister, will Ku Li wait?

I agree with Bakri when he says that modern surgery is increasingly complex, requiring the skill and contribution from various specialists. However, politics and administration are not something that you can dissect and diagnose, but which require quick decision-making interplayed with personal negotiation and bargaining skills.

Mahathir, himself a physician, mastered Machiavellian principles to outwit his opponents. Though co-leadership arrangements are common in a complex organisation, it won't work well in Malaysian politics, which is smeared with racial prejudice.

Abdullah supported Ku Li in his previous leadership tussle with Mahathir, but it doesn't mean that he favours Ku Li as his deputy. Even so, Abdullah was closer to Musa Hitam rather than Ku Li - there is no love lost between the leaders.

The remaining three Umno vice-presidents are, by tradition, supposed to be in line for the deputy's post and will eventually have their turn. But each is tainted with some form of controversy or scandal that will haunt them forever. The only solution, as Bakri suggests, would be to remove them.

The plus factor for Abdullah is that he is an appointed deputy of Umno, not an elected one. Mahathir put him up there, with the hope that he will toe the line and dance to the tune played by Mahathir.

Even during the last Umno general assembly, Mahathir played a pivotal role in asking the assembly to unite behind Abdullah. Mahathir could have done the reverse instead, but the old man still maintains certain level of confidence in Abdullah, but for how long?

Although the vice-presidents have vowed not to challenge him - not until the next general election at least - the power struggle at Umno's grassroots is already underway.

My best bet for Abdullah's choice of No. 2 is Rais Yatim. Like Abdullah, Rais was an outcast during the fallout between Mahathir and Ku Li. Rais is a seasoned politician without any known scandals. What has Abdullah got to lose? After all Rais was a Team B man, and so was Rais and Ku Li.

If Rais Yatim becomes deputy, the R.A.H.M.A.N formula will be broken. Is Abdullah ready to take the risk, bearing in mind there is the man from Sungai Buloh that he needs to keep a close watch on?