Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said that it was up to ruling party Umno to decide the political future of his son-in-law, who had been accused of being the power behind the throne.

Khairy Jamaluddin, 31, a businessman and ambitious emerging politician, has offered to quit politics if he is a liability to the ruling party.

He said that he would step down from his powerful position as Umno deputy Youth chief if that was what party members desired.

When asked to comment on Khairy's statement, Abdullah yesterday said that his son-in-law would not have hold the post if the delegates did not want him to continue.

He added that this was the guiding principle for all elected representatives.

"If the grassroots that elected them do not want them anymore, they would have to step down. Whoever he is, the principle is the same," said Abdullah.

Khairy, who won the party post unopposed in the Umno polls two years ago, was mildly booed by the delegates when he was officially announced the new Umno Youth deputy chief at the general assembly.

Newspapers today published a photo of Khairy wiping his tears as he answers a string of allegations made against him during the opening of the Port Klang Umno Youth division general meeting.

No second wife

Last Friday, Khairy denied he had taken a popular television actress as his second wife and blasted what he said were attempts to undermine the government.

Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has levelled a number of criticisms at his successor in recent weeks, including suggesting that Abdullah's advisors and Khairy were controlling the administration.

But Abdullah said Khairy, who has served his father-in-law in several roles including as speech writer and private secretary, was not influencing him.

Khairy is expected to tour Umno divisions in the country in the next few weeks to answer all the allegations.

"I want to ask the views of Umno youth members at the grassroots level whether I have become a liability to the party based on all the baseless allegations made against me.

"Only those who have given the mandate to be a leader can decide. Nobody else can force someone out," he said.