There were no large-scale street protests during the tenure of Dr Mahathir Mohamad - apart from when his nemesis Anwar Ibrahim was sacked from government.

This is because, Mahathir's detractors point out, he ruled with an iron fist and dissenters were often thrown behind bars.

But since he stepped down in 2003, street protests have become a common feature under his two successors and this has been a bitter pill for Mahathir.

In his latest blog posting, the former prime minister expresses how these demonstrations are organised with the aim of toppling elected governments and trains his guns on electoral watchdog Bersih.

"So far Malaysia has been spared the instability from massive, prolonged street demonstrations. But the signs are already there.

"Obviously, there are Malaysians who would like to bring down the elected government through demonstrations," Mahathir says.

The series of Bersih demonstrations, he added, were obviously meant to excite public support to discredit the government, and eventually to bring it down.

"The government is accused of cheating in previous elections so as to justify rejection of the coming elections should the government party win. Massive and continuous demonstrations would then be held.

"So far the numbers in the demonstrations are not big enough to paralyse the country. Though disruptive, the businesses, including the small street stalls, have not been stopped.

"But the hope of the organisers of Bersih must be to attract millions to participate and to be daily affairs so that the usual daily life of the people will be disrupted," he addsed.

The next step, according to the former premier, would perhaps be to occupy government buildings.

"The police would be provoked into taking violent actions. International news agencies and their television crews would then record the violence which would be broadcast throughout the world to discredit the majority elected government.

"Of course violence on the part of the demonstrators would not be recorded or shown," he says.

Up to now, Mahathir said, Malaysians have not responded to the call but might do so in the future and when this happens, Malaysia will join the ranks of unstable countries incapable of being governed and much less being developed.

In view of this, the former prime minister said, the world must make up its mind on whether governments should be installed through the ballot box or street demonstrations.

"Democracy as we can see is not perfect. But it is by far the best system of government that we have. But like all systems, abuses can negate the objective.

"If democracy is to survive and to serve the purpose for which it is devised, there must be some acceptance of the limits to the freedom that we consider democratic.

"Free speech, free press, demonstrations and strikes must be circumscribed to some degree so that they will not destroy democracies in the name of democracy," Mahathir adds.