Mahathir says he'll quit all posts

Mahathir says he'll quit all posts

MALAYSIA: Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad vowed on Thursday that
he will give up all government and party posts when he retires
later this year and not seek re-election to Parliament.

The declaration, made during an exclusive interview with The
Associated Press, marked the first that Mahathir ruled out
retaining any formal political role since he announced plans to
retire during a conference last year of his United Malays
National Organization.

Mahathir, who has led this Southeast Asian country since 198l,
said that he expected his views would still be sought. But he
reinforced previous statements that he would not seek a role as a
so-called senior minister, a title adopted by Lee Kuan Yew when
he stepped down as premier in neighboring Singapore.

Mahathir said that he expected his party to regain ground lost
in 1999 to the fundamentalist Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party when
the next general elections, due by November 2004, are held under
his current deputy and anointed successor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
--AP