Malaysia PM, deputy to talk power transition-report

KUALA LUMPUR, April 11 (Reuters) - Malaysia's prime minister, under intense pressure to quit after last month's poll setback, will discuss handing over power to his deputy Najib Razak, the state Bernama news agency said on Friday.

Bernama, quoting Trade Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, said Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told a closed-door party meeting that he would talk to Najib about the power transition plan.

"The period of transition and so on were not mentioned in detail ... matters such as when the transition will take place and so on will be discussed between him (Abdullah) and Najib," Muhyiddin said after the meeting in the southern state of Johor.

An aide to Abdullah could not immediately confirm the comments.

Abdullah, who succeeded veteran leader Mahathir Mohamad in late 2003, said last week that Najib, the Deputy Prime Minister, would take over when he eventually steps down.

The opposition won a record number of seats in parliament at March 8 elections, dealing the ruling National Front coalition the biggest setback in its 50-year rule and spelling trouble for Abdullah's future leadership.

Mahathir, an ally-turned-rival, had called for Abdullah's resignation to allow the ruling coalition to rebuild itself after the electoral setback.

Abdullah had said Mahathir's volley of accusations risked destroying his party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), which leads the ruling coalition.

Abdullah is also facing a possible party revolt, with party dissident Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah offering to challenge him for the party presidency at the next party polls in December.