Umno members have a soft spot for their 'Mr Clean' deputy president and incoming Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and any attempt to challenge him would meet a stiff resistance, said a party source today.

"It is a well-known fact that Abdullah has a sizeable number of sympathizers within Umno...and they are indeed his silent supporters," said the source who declined to be named.

He said this is o­ne reason why certain quarters in the party are afraid to ask the president-in-waiting why he has yet to name his deputy.

"In the event that he needs such support, they would definitely rally behind him," said the source.

Abdullah proved his staying power in the 1996 party elections when he was re-elected as vice-president after losing the post in 1993 to the 'vision team' led by jailed ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim.

During the 1996 contest, he had appeal for support from the party delegates and they voted him in.

"This would serve as a reminder to those who doubt Abdullah's influence in Umno. He proved it in 1996 and he could do it again in the future," said the source.

Abdullah, who will take over the party and the premiership when Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad retires in October, came into power after Anwar's sacking in 1998.

Deputy woes

His protracted silence o­n the choice of deputy has caused disquiet among supporters of party vice-president and Defence Minister Najib Razak, who is said to be the likely candidate for the post.

Even Mahathir had said twice that the latter, who is the son of the country's second prime minister Abdul Razak, would be the best person for the job.

Commenting o­n this, the source said although Najib's support base in the party would serve as a great asset to Abdullah is he chooses him, such a move could also be counter-productive.

'The move would o­nly reinforce public impression that Abdullah doesn't have strong support base in Umno," said the source.

Otherwise, he said, people may think that Najib is behind Abdullah's decisions in the government and the party.

"Furthermore, Abdullah's political background is also very impressive. His father was a founding member of Umno, which sealed Malaysia's independence from the British," he said.

After being elected to parliament in 1978 as MP for the Kepala Batas constituency, he quickly rose to prominence. He was a high ranking civil servant prior to that.

Prior to his appointment as deputy prime minister, Abdullah had helmed the defence, education and foreign ministries.