Between 2004 and 2009, then prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was constantly criticised for his reliance on the "Fourth Floor Boys" - a group of young men who once occupied the fourth floor of Perdana Putra.

These men, who were accused by critics of being gatekeepers to the prime minister, were described in Abdullah's authorised biography as "very young, came from prestigious British and American universities and left financially rewarding jobs to join his office".

One "Fourth Floor Boy" and Abdullah's political secretary, Vincent Lim said the attacks were just a strategy to get to the PM.

"To get to the Lion King, you first get rid of the sentries. That was what the enemies of Pak Lah did.

"In a way, we (the Fourth Floor) were taking bullets for Pak Lah. We expected that. It was a professional hazard," he told 'Being Abdullah Ahmad Badawi author' and former The Star chief editor Wong Sulong.

Just messengers

Another member of the team, Ahmad Zaki Zahid, said the accusations of interference were unfounded.

Zaki said, in fact, the "Fourth Floor Boys" were disappointed with some of Abdullah's decision.

He said the "Fourth Floor Boys" were nothing more than "messengers".

"When Pak Lah formed his cabinet after the massive victory in 2004 general elections, we were not involved at all.

"He could have consulted with some of his friends or political advisers but we have nothing to do with his choice of ministers.

"Frankly we were disappointed with the composition of the new cabinet in that it comprised many old, tired faced of the Mahathir administration."

Now managing director of Knusford Bhd, Zaki was 33 at the time and was heading the PMO's policy unit.

He said the "Fourth Floor Boys" attended "the whole gamut of meetings" Abdullah attended, except for cabinet meetings, and formulated proposals for him based on discussions there.

"If there were ideas that were contentious we would discuss those with him first. We wouldn't put it in notes and then suddenly (it) becomes government policy.

"He is not like that anyway. He makes up his own mind.

"People think he is a mild-mannered and kind person who could not be easily influenced, but he has his own ideas," he said.

Lim and Zaki were in 2008 accused of influencing Abdullah to shelve the Mahathir-era crooked bridge project to Singapore.

Lim resigned as Abdullah's political secretary in November 2008.

'Pak Lah couldn't rely on his cabinet'

Zaid Ibrahim, who served as Abdullah's law minister, said the "Fourth Floor Boys" should be credited for keeping the former premier in Perdana Putra.

"(Abdullah) would have liked Najib (Abdul Razak) to be more supportive of Pak Lah's reforms in a way a deputy should... His reliance on the so-called 'Fourth Floor Boys' was inevitable.

"His reliance on Khairy was similarly inevitable. He did not have vigorous support from his cabinet and party.

"The fact that he lasted a term and a year was due to his reliance on the Fourth Floor Boys. I would go further to say that if not for Khairy, he would have done a lot less in terms of reforms," Zaid said.

He was referring to Abdullah's son-in-law and now Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Wong wrote that the "Fourth Floor Boys", a term coined by Abdullah critics, actually refer to the team which initially put together Abdullah's plan for his administration, upon taking over from Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The team was initially dubbed the "Blue Sky" team and met regularly at Armada Hotel in Petaling Jaya, Carcosa Seri Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Abdullah's home and Pangkor Laut resort in Perak.

"After outlining the politics and programmes he would like to see incorporated, Abdullah would attend the sessions intermittently, leaving the discussions to be chaired by (his private secretary) Tajudeen (Wahab)."

According to Wong's book, the "Fourth Floor Boys" comprised of:

  • Tajudeen Wahab (Abdullah's private secretary);
  • Azman Yahya (Danaharta, now Symphony House Bhd CEO);
  • Abdul Azim Zabidi (Bank Simpanan Nasional chairperson, and later Umno treasurer);
  • Kalimullah Hassan (former New Straits Times editor-in-chief);
  • Kamaluddin Abdullah (Abdullah's son);
  • Jawhar Hassan (Institute of Strategic and International Studies chairperson);
  • Annuar Zaini (later Bernama chairperson);
  • Kamal Khalid (Deputy Prime Minister's Office staff and later appointed Head of Communications in the Prime Minister's Office, now Media Prima CEO);
  • Haizan Mohd Khir Johari (Deputy Prime Minister's Office staff, son of late Education Minister Mohd Khir Johari);
  • Khairy Jamaluddin (Abdullah's son-in-law)
  • Neilleita Omar (Deputy Prime Minister's Office staff);
  • Syarissa Abu Bakar (Depuy Prime Minister's Office staff);
  • Kamarulzaman Zainal (Abdullah's press seretary);
  • Ahmad Zaki Zahid (Deputy Prime Minister's Office staff, later head of Policy Unit); and
  • Dr Vincent Lim (Abdullah's political secretary).

READ: Me, Pak Lah and the 4th Floor boys