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."