As Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak prepares to take over next March, he will be anxious to avoid the same pitfalls.

Even now, his aides repeatedly say that Datuk Seri Najib will not outline his vision or plans until he takes office, partly out of respect for Datuk Seri Abdullah.

On Sunday, Mr Najib took an unassailable lead in the nominations for the Umno presidency, and will become its president at the party assembly in March. By convention, the Umno president is also Malaysia's prime minister.

So by April, Mr Najib will be set to become Malaysia's sixth prime minister.

With the top job virtually his, the focus has switched to public expectations of Mr Najib's leadership.

He will come into office without the burden of overly high expectations, if only because his public image has already been badly dented by endless allegations over corruption and sex scandals.

'He'll be starting off with many sceptics already,' said political analyst Ong Kian Ming.

A recent survey by the independent Merdeka Centre shows respondents almost equally split in their opinion of whether Mr Najib would make a good prime minister or not.

He is also coming into office as Malaysia is about to enter a painful economic downturn, following the impact of the global financial crisis. Steep falls in the global prices of oil and commodities spell slower growth next year and a sharp cutback in government expenditure.

Mr Najib will announce a package of economic measures today. Many in the private sector want to see the government use this opportunity to liberalise elements of the pro-Malay affirmative action policies under the New Economic Policy (NEP) that are seen as hampering economic recovery. This, in particular, involves the 30per cent quota of Malay ownership of public-listed companies which has deterred foreign investment.

But it will run into a hail of protest from the elite Malay community which has the most to lose.

In a recent TV interview, Mr Najib said he was working towards the gradual liberalisation of the NEP, as and when Malays begin to feel more confident of competing with others domestically and globally.

Mr Najib will also have to deal with the problems of the Indian community, like the 30,000 who do not have identity cards. The Indian problem is seen as one symbol of the injustices created by an economy skewed in favour of the Malays.

But as Mr Ibrahim Suffian of the Merdeka Centre notes: 'His views on the NEP were drowned out by protest, so it just shows how difficult it's going to be.'

Several Umno leaders have criticised it indirectly, by venting their anger against Malaysian Chinese Association politician Liow Tiong Lai, who had supported Mr Najib's views.

It is the first sign that Mr Najib will face the same pressures Mr Abdullah faced in managing race relations, and related policies.

Malaysians will also expect him to follow through on Mr Abdullah's outstanding promises, including setting up a judicial appointments commission to make the process more transparent, and establishing a body to discipline errant police personnel.

'There will be nothing easy for Najib. The economy is in danger of crashing. He has to deal with five states in opposition hands, without a two-thirds majority in Parliament,' said Mr Ong.

carolynh@sph.com.sg