KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak vowed to Umno and Malaysians today that he would not disappoint them and quit the struggle at first sign of trouble, reiterating his refusal to step down ahead of his term.

In a blog post reminiscing his years in Umno and the times of crises the ruling party has had to overcome, the country’s sixth prime minister lamented the use of social media today to spread falsehoods and defamatory remarks, noting that in the past, such a “weapon” had never existed.

He said in politics, any bid to take down a party will start with attacks against its leader as the belief is such that when this leader no longer commands the confidence of his or her subjects, the party will easily fall.

“And in politics, in order to topple a leader, there will be all kinds of conspiracies... within the country and abroad... because all this is to take down Umno as the party that heads the country’s leadership and administration,” he said in the posting today.

Najib urged Malaysians to understand the political scenario he described, saying the public should be clear on the fact that the country is peaceful and is headed for success.

This, he said, is thanks to Umno.

“I will not disappoint Umno members and the Malaysian people. Every leader will face challenges and once we’ve entered the arena, we cannot quit in the middle of the fight,” he wrote.

“We will fight to the finish and I will continue to exercise my responsibilities to the party and the people.

“For as long I have their support, I will continue to lead. I will not step down, insyaAllahy (sic). We will move forward,” he added.

Najib is currently said to be facing the toughest period in his political career. His leadership is plagued by a number of controversies, many of which his critics allege are directly linked to him, including the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) debt issue and the RM2.6 billion donation, among others.

These controversies have caused jitters even in ruling Umno, with some top leaders previously believed to be supportive of Najib emerging in the public arena to question their party president.

End-August, polls watchdog Bersih 2.0 held a massive public demonstration in the capital to demand institutional reforms and for Najib’s early resignation. Tens of thousands joined the street march that earned extensive coverage in the international media.

Last Wednesday, the Al Jazeera news network resurrected the controversial brutal murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu, a 2006 scandal that many have accused the Malaysian government of covering up.

In its response, the Prime Minister’s Office told the network that Najib was never acquainted with Altantuya and rejected claims of corruption repeated in the documentary.

The Altantuya scandal was among the reasons former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad gave earlier this year to explain his demand for Najib’s resignation as prime minister, although he has now shifted his focus to 1MDB as his main platform to press for Najib’s exit.