Malaysian Pm to Stay on for 16 Months

Malaysia's septuagenarian prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, who has been in office for the past 21 years, has agreed to remain leader until October 2003 when his deputy will take over, the ruling party's supreme council said today.

The announcement followed a tearful address from Dr Mahathir, 76, on Saturday when he said he wanted to retire. He was immediately swamped by supporters and agreed to stay on.

Deputy prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, 62, has been named as Dr Mahathir's heir as prime minister and leader of the United Malays National Organization party and leader of the governing coalition.

Details of the succession plan were laid out in a statement read by information minister Khalil Yaacob after a meeting of the party's supreme council.

It said that Dr Mahathir would step down after hosting the Organization of the Islamic Conference summit on October 25, 2003.

Mr Abdullah dismissed speculation that Dr Mahathir was a lame duck premier.

"All this thinking of a lame duck is in your mind. We would still obey him. There is no question of me trying to upstage him," Mr Abdullah said.

Dr Mahathir is under pressure from loyalists to lead the party in elections next year and capitalise on the declining popularity of the Islamic fundamentalist opposition since September 11.

Dr Mahathir said without warning on Saturday that he wanted to step down. He was mobbed at the podium and taken to a back room of his party's annual conference, where he was persuaded to withdraw the resignation.

A high-ranking government official said that Dr Mahathir had been adamant to quit all posts and "it took a lot of coaxing to get him to relent".

While supporters were delighted at his decision to stay on, the Pan-Malaysian Islamic party criticized the plan as "the longest resignation notice submitted by any leader in the world".

The outspoken Dr Mahathir has strengthened his party's position since 1998, when he sacked his then deputy, the charismatic Anwar Ibrahim, triggering large street protests.

Anwar, who is serving prison sentences totaling 15 years for corruption and sodomy, claims he was framed to prevent him challenging the prime minister for power.

Public sympathy for Anwar helped the fundamentalists increase seats in parliament, but the September 11 attacks have since eroded their support.

The fundamentalists suffered a setback on Sunday when their leader, Fadzil Noor, died following heart bypass surgery.

Dr Mahathir has positioned himself as a moderate Muslim leader and has emerged as a key regional ally in the American "war on terrorism".