Mahathir's successor

Mahathir's successor

Although Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad won the two-thirds majority he sought in the election, it was not quite the ringing endorsement of his policies he was hoping for.

Four Cabinet ministers lost seats, and the opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), with its religious fundamentalist background, gained power in two important northern states.

But for the moment, Mahathir can afford to smile. One of his strongest critics, Lim Kit Siang, the veteran Chinese leader of the Democratic Action Party, opposition chief for three decades, has been defeated. Mahathir's former deputy, Anwar Ibrahim, is in jail unable to glean any comfort from his wife's success in Penang, because he is not allowed to have a radio or television. Anwar's trial on sodomy charges was suspended during the brief election campaign, and his future must look bleak now that Mahathir is returned for a five-year term.

To date, the premier's unorthodox economic policies appear to have put his country back on track. Even so, the system needs reform. Bailing out debt-ridden companies was part of Mahathir's rescue plan. There is little reason to think he will change the formula now he has a mandate to continue.

At 73, after 18 years of solitary leadership, and with a history of heart problems, even his supporters must worry about the possibility of a power vacuum while the nation is without a natural successor.

Mahathir's political success has been remarkable and he has proved himself to be a supremely canny politician. But he cannot go on forever. Like other dominant leaders before him, the real danger may be to hang on to power too long.

-- The South China Morning Post, Hong Kong