Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad has agreed to the suggestion of having a mediator to mend ties between him and his successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin said he had raised the matter during a meeting with Mahathir last night.

"I told him it was difficult for Abdullah to meet him personally because Mahathir had displayed his dissatisfaction with the prime minister," he was quoted as saying by Bernama today.

Zainuddinsaid he also told Mahathir that the mediator should meet him first to resolve the current crisis.

The minister, who is widely regarded to be a key Mahathir supporter, said he disclosed the name of the mediator to the former premier and the latter had agreed.

"Mahathir agreed to accept the person I mentioned as he is dear to him," he added. However, he refused to identify the person.

Yesterday, Zainuddin disclosed that a mediator might be asked to resolve the ongoing dispute between Mahathir and the current administration.

He said Abdullah, whom he met before he left for Perth, Australia, for a holiday, was open to resolve the differences.

According to Zainuddin, the prime minister had much respect for the abovementioned mediator as well.

Who is it?

He said the initiatives to resolve the differences between Mahathir and Abdullah were in line with the spirit and wishes of the Umno grassroots throughout the country who were worried over the current development.

The information minister said the people would remain confused if this issue was not resolved soon.

Following the disclosure that a mediator might be roped in, speculation had been rife on the identity of the person.

One interesting name which surfaced was 62-year-old prominent businessman Mohd Abid, the executive director of major property development group TA Enterprise Bhd.

He is well-known among the elites and shares a close relationship with the two feuding leaders, said an observer, who declined to be named.

Mahathir had launched a series of attacks against his successor over certain decisions made by the current administration, namely the scrapping of the half-bridge project, the management of Proton and the sale of Italian motorcycle manufacturer MV Augusta to a euro 2 company.

While claiming it was nothing personal, Mahathir had on one occasion wondered aloud if he made the wrong choice in naming Abdullah as his successor.

The former premier had also come under intense criticism from present and past leaders over his scathing remarks.

Mahathir had always maintained that Abdullah was surrounded by bad advisers, which observers believe was directed at the premier's son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin.

Yesterday, Mahathir's former political secretary Matthias Chang had called on Abdullah to respond to the rumours that Khairy was the country's de facto prime minister .