Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is determined to face any challenge or obstacle standing in his way and would not give up his struggle to develop the country and its people.

The prime minister reiterated his determination at a function in Penang last night.

According to Bernama , Pak Lah said that as a leader, he had no option but to face the challenges and obstacles head on.

"Failure is not an option, as such, we have to succeed in overcoming whatever challenges and obstacles that come in the way... the previous leaders also had their share of challenges and obstacles and they faced them," he said when officiating the Malam Mesra Pulau Mutiara dinner organised by the Former Elected Representatives Council (Mubarak).

Saying that he had been given a huge mandate by the people to lead the country, Abdullah added that the challenges that came along with it were also massive as the people had placed their hopes on his shoulders.

Consensus system

He said that in making big decisions, he practiced the consensus system, which had been the approach of the government for a very long time.

Under his leadership, Pak Lah said, there had been no conflicts when making decisions and he had never asked anybody to raise their hands as a show of support during a meeting.

"When everyone has agreed, then only a decision is taken. If some disagree, we will not decide. We postpone the decision until all reach agreement, only this way can we achieve a strong decision," he said.

He said that his focus now was to ensure that the national mission, which was the backbone of the country's development, was achieved in the next 15 years and that was why everybody must give their full commitment to ensure the Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Malaysia Plans were successful.