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.