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