Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will marry Jeanne Abdullah, 53, in a private ceremony at his official residence Sri Perdana in Putrajaya on Saturday.

Rumours escalated recently that Abdullah, whose first wife Endon Mahmood succumbed to cancer on October 2005, was to remarry. But he had refuted the claims as rumours on two occasions three months ago.

Only close relatives will attend the akad nikah ceremony, according to a statement from the Prime Minsiter's office.

It also said Kuala Lumpur-born Jeanne is the eldest of four siblings. Born on July 29, 1953, she was educated at the Assunta secondary school in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

She has two daughters - Nadiah and Nadene - from her first marriage. Jeanne is the ex-wife of Endon's brother Osman Mahmud and has been a divorcee for the past 15 years.

Abdullah, 67, has two children, a son, Kamaluddin, and a daughter, Nori, from his marriage of 40 years with Endon.

Jeanne has extensive experience in administration and the management of several major hotels including the Hilton Kuala Lumpur and Pan Pacific Hotel.

She was formerly supervisor of the official deputy premier's official residence and the manager of the Sri Perdana complex.

Two is enough

Abdullah's cabinet colleague Rafidah Aziz, at the beginning of a speech to about 1,000 people at an exhibition for small and medium industries today, expressed her "heartiest congratulations and best wishes" to her boss who was also at the same event.

In his speech following Rafidah's, Abdullah suggested that two marriages would be enough.

"Thank you for your best wishes," he said.

"They say, for a Malay, when a man gets married people like to pull his legs, make fun and to tease him - especially so when he's marrying for the second time, what's more the third or fourth. But I will not go beyond this."

"I hope the public will bless us. A happy prime minister can do a lot of good work," Abdullah later told reporters.

"I am not saying I am not happy so far but I am happier now with a companion."

A random survey among the members of the public today revealed that most Malaysians were happy for Abdullah.

Media briefing

Meanwhile, immediately after the wedding announcement was made, the Prime Minister's Office called for a briefing for all media ( malaysiakini not included) to issue guidelines on how the wedding should be covered.

According to sources who were at the 30-minute meeting, the media have been told to keep the affair low key as this was a private affair, and to rely on official announcements that will be released regularly through state news agency Bernama .

Newspapers were also told not to place congratulatory advertorials on the wedding.

The media representative were also told not to "dig up anything" on Jeanne's background or rely on what was being written in the Internet.

They were also told to clarify any information with the prime minister himself if they had any doubts.

The cabinet was also briefed today at its weekly meeting on the wedding.