Abdullah's wife stable: Report

Abdullah's wife stable: Report

MALAYSIA: Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's
wife is in a stable but weak condition following treatment for
breast cancer, local media reported on Sunday.

Endon Mahmood is a huge source of inspiration for Abdullah,
and many political analysts say she encouraged him to pursue the
leadership. Abdullah, 65, took power late in 2003, the chosen
successor of veteran leader Mahathir Mohamad.

"Having undergone five courses of chemotherapy over the last
two months, her condition is stable, but weak," Hisham Abdullah,
Endon's doctor, said in a statement published in The Star
newspaper. "We are pleased to note that she has made notable,
albeit slow progress."

Endon, aged 64, was diagnosed with breast cancer soon after
her twin sister Noraini was stricken with the ailment in 2002.

Since then, she has made regular trips to the United States
for treatment with a type of chemotherapy not available in
Malaysia, but said to be effective against breast cancer.

Endon returned home this month following weeks of treatment in
Los Angeles, but immediately went into hospital to guard against
secondary infections, on her doctor's advice. -- Reuters