Mahathir returns to rumors, rebukes

Mahathir returns to rumors, rebukes

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): Malaysia's veteran prime minister returned home on Friday to rumors that his finance minister was quitting and rare rebukes over the treatment of his jailed former deputy and his supporters.

Barely off the airport tarmac after attending a two-day summit of developing countries in crisis-torn Indonesia, Mahathir Mohamad was denying that he had received any resignation letter from Finance Minister Daim Zainuddin.

Kuala Lumpur has been a buzz with talk of a rift between Mahathir and Daim since the prime minister announced in April that his long-time ally had taken leave due to tiredness.

Struggling to reverse his sliding popularity, Mahathir, the last of a generation of southeast Asian political strongmen still in power, has come under increasing attack on several fronts.