Mahathir predicts polls victory for UMNO

Mahathir predicts polls victory for UMNO

Eileen Ng, Agence France-Presse, Putrajaya, Malaysia

Former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad predicted a landslide
victory for his successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in Sunday's
election but an uphill task in wresting back two states ruled by
opposition Islamic hardliners.

In an interview on Thursday with AFP five months after his
retirement, Mahathir cited strong economic growth, racial
harmony, Abdullah's new anti-corruption drive and subsiding anger
over the sacking and jailing of his ex-deputy Anwar Ibrahim as
trump cards for his successor.

He said he expected no political fallout from a nuclear black
market scandal involving a company owned by Abdullah's son, which
was cleared of any wrongdoing by police.

Mahathir, who ruled for 22 years, also said he was not
offended by suggestions the government's new anti-graft drive
appeared to be a clean-up of a corrupt administration under his
rule.

"I am fully behind the anti-corruption campaign," Mahathir
said. "I admit there was corruption during my time but we were
taking action.

"(Abdullah) has done very well. I am quite sure he is going to
win by a bigger margin than in 1999."

But Mahathir acknowledged the role of Islam in government had
become a key challenge, and the battle for majority Muslim
support between the ruling United Malays National Organization
(UMNO) and its rival Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS) had
intensified.

UMNO, which heads the ruling coalition, lost 20 seats and
control of a second state in 1999 to PAS, which wants to turn
Malaysia into a theocratic state.

Mahathir said it would be "very difficult" to win back
Kelantan, which PAS has ruled since 1990, mainly due to
infighting within UMNO in the state.

But he predicted a "50-50 chance" of wresting back neighboring
Terengganu amid unhappiness over PAS rule. He dismissed PAS's aim
of capturing his home state of Kedah after it made major inroads
there in 1999, saying it was "not that easy unless there is some
catastrophe."

Mahathir attacked PAS leaders for promising supporters a place
in heaven if they voted for the party.

"It's a warped interpretation of Islam. PAS's interpretation
of Islam is wrong and they are responsible for splitting the
Muslims," he said.

"They regard me, for instance, as an infidel and anyone who
does not vote for PAS does not go to heaven. Very unfortunate
because there will be 1.3 billion Muslims who will not be able to
vote for PAS because they are not in Malaysia."

Mahathir said he has no regrets about sacking Anwar, although
UMNO paid the price for it in 1999 polls, but admitted he was
"angry" when he found out that Anwar, who was pictured around the
world with a black eye, had been beaten by the former police
chief.

"I didn't act in order to be popular," he said.

"If I am asked to do it, I will do it again because I cannot
accept a person of that low moral character should become the
next prime minister of Malaysia. I have a responsibility for the
country."

Anwar, who is serving 15 years for sodomy and corruption,
appeared to have been plotting a challenge to his leadership, he
said.

"It seems to me that he had been preparing for this thing a
long time because he built up support not only in the country but
outside the country."

Mahathir said he believed many Malays would swing back to UMNO
in Sunday's polls because the public has accepted that it was
"not vengeance on my part or any personal animosity. It is just
that I had no choice."