Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi may no longer be able to command the overwhelming mandate he obtained in the 2004 general elections, his erstwhile critic and former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.

Mahathir said that public opinion has 'changed' since Abdullah took up his tenure as prime minister three years ago.

Abdullah had said recently that there was no need to hold an early general election as the mandate he obtained in 2004 showed that the people had confidence in him.

"That may be his view, but I think things have changed a little bit," said Mahathir when asked to comment on the prime minister's statement.

He was speaking to reporters after a press conference on the Perdana Global Peace Organisation's Third Global Peace Forum to be held in Kuala Lumpur from Feb 5 to 7. Mahathir is chairman of the foundation.

The former premier also said the coming state by-election at Batu Talam in Pahang would be a political barometer to gauge the popularity of the BN government.

"If they (the electorate) feel very happy, then the margin (of BN's win) might be more. If they feel unhappy about it, then the margin might be less. If they feel really unhappy about it, then they might lose. The government might lose," said Mahathir.

Saying that Malaysians 'by and large still support the government', he added they will have the opportunity to show their support at the Batu Talam by-election.

Report money politics

The Election Commission has set Jan 16 as nomination day and Jan 28 for polling for the constituency following the death of Umno's Tengku Paris Tengku Razlan on Dec 27 from rectal cancer.

Mahathir said the by-election would reflect public mood on the ruling administration and warned that BN may try to use money politics to win the by-election.

"It will be quite interesting to watch this by-election. I had this bad experience of people using money against me. So if they use money, I hope the people would reject it. And I hope people would report it," he said.

Mahathir was referring to the Umno Kubang Pasu divisional delegates contest on Sept 9 which saw him fail in his bid to be elected as one of the seven delegates to represent the division during November's Umno general assembly in Kuala Lumpur.

The former premier alleged that money politics was at play and that this had caused him to lose. The Umno disciplinary board has yet to make a decision on the allegations.

Mahathir also said that Abdullah has failed to fulfill the promises he made in the run-up to the 2004 general election.

"It looks like a delivery system problem. Proper tenders must be carried out. But some people are getting projects without tender," he said.

Contractors' bonanza wrong

Mahathir also rapped the decision to disburse RM600 million the Class F contractors.

On Nov 13, the eve of the recently concluded Umno general assembly, party president Abdullah announced that the sum was to top up the RM1.5 billion allocated for rural development under the 9MP.

Deputy Finance Minister Awang Adek Hussin later told reporters that each of the parliamentary constituencies would get RM3 million from the RM600 million bonanza. He reportedly said the funds would rejuvenate the Class-F contractors, adding that the allocations should be spent within six weeks upon disbursement.

"If it has been given, it would have been very wrong because the government cannot make provision for parties, especially for government parties. It has to be given to everybody.

"If it is based on constituency, yes, you may not like opposition to have RM3 million. You can still give to the constituency, not to the opposition party.

"If it is done not through the official sources, but confined only to one political party, then it is against the law," he said.

The former premier, who last year came out publicly with strong criticisms of Abdullah's style of governance, touched on a variety of issues during the 45-minute press conference. Below are excerpts.

'I wasn't quiet'

On Abdullah's recent interview with a Bangkok daily, where he said Mahathir had 'smashed my son-in-law's pot of rice'.

It wasn't a very big rice bowl, it's very difficult to smash (laughs). It's turning into a hundreds of millions of dollars' rice bowl. How much rice can you eat?

On the RM31.4 billion merger of Sime Darby Bhd, Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd and Golden Hope Plantations Bhd.

We think that through this merger, I think the commission that some people would get from this merger is around RM200 million. Somebody would benefit right from the word 'go' from the commission.

Secondly, I don't think it is very necessary. They are big enough as they are.

On the recently announced Iskandar Development Region in Johor.

With regard to this special zone, literally you are making it part of a foreign land. Singapore would be very happy. People can go to this place without using their passport. But if they want to go back (to their own countries), they have to use their passport.

But Singapore has relations with some countries which we do not have relations with, such as Israel. We might have some interesting people building things there. Effectively, it's becoming a foreign land.

But that is following in the tradition of Malaysia, where we gave Singapore to other people, where we gave Penang to the British. We are generous, we are always giving. Where we can't give land, we can always dig up sand and sell it.

On his attempt to strike out a RM100 million suit filed against him by his former deputy Anwar Ibrahim following his (Mahathir's) comments that Anwar was a homosexual.

He is suing me now. My lawyers have asked that it should struck off as far as I am concerned. But the court is not on my side. That's why I had problems with Umno being struck out back then (1987).

On why he has been 'quiet' of late.

I wasn't quiet. I had my press conference after my first meeting (with Abdullah) and people blamed me for being so nasty. So after that, I had a small heart problem, and now my heart is repaired. But I have no forum to say anything. The press will not publish what I say. So I appear to be very quiet but in my brain there is a lot of sounds.

On whether he will continue to criticise the government.

I will criticise anything that is wrong whether done by my government or other governments. That has been my principle whether I was prime minister or not. I never hesitate to criticise. Even the most powerful country in the world, if they do something wrong, I will say. And they are welcome to say when I am wrong. They have said I was wrong all this while - 22 years of bad government.

On whether he has slowed down his momentum.

People are too afraid to give out invitations for me to speak. When they do, they are told to withdraw their invitations. I say that this is not lawful [...] the police are allowed to call up people and threaten them. This is a police state.

During my time, I have never done so. I proceeded according to the ISA. There is the law. But this - to call up the police to threaten people - was never done.

On whether he considers ISA 'uncivilised'.

It is still a law. There are good laws and there are bad laws. There are good laws in the eyes of some people and there are bad laws in the eyes of others. But the fact is that there is a law.

And now, of course, the British are returning to the same law and America is also very happy that there are going to imprison people without trial. Worse still, they imprison foreigners without trial. If it is such a bad law, then all these people should not be doing it.

On whether ISA should be abolished.

There is a need for ISA, there is also a need not to abuse ISA.

On rumours Umno supreme council members wanted him under house arrest.

The law is there. I said, 'don't abuse'. They can arrest me and say the law said so, but that would be an abuse.

On the delay by the Umno supreme council and disciplinary board in reaching a decision on the Umno Kubang Pasu money politics case.

I think that the supreme council and the disciplinary board are busy. Maybe they are celebrating Raya, New Year, Hari Raya Haji and all that.

On reports that he purchased a luxury yacht in Turkey.

Actually, I am quite interested, if I could buy. But I don't have the money. I have been sailing in this Turkish gullet they call it. Very beautifully designed yacht. Turkish wooden yacht. I thought if you owned a yacht and bring it here, it would look nice in Langkawi.

I asked some people with some money, 'Why don't you build a yacht like that?' They said wooden boats don't last very long in Langkawi. And then they said, if a wooden boat doesn't last long why not have steel hull. So that's where it stopped.

On whether southern Thailand should seek autonomy.

They have some grievances, but I have told them quite clearly they should not make any effort to become an independent state, or even autonomy because the Thai government doesn't like that.

On whether the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu has hurt Malaysia's image.

I am sorry it happened, especially when in involves the police. But generally there is an upsurge in crime in this country. I do not know why. But I feel very sad that this should happen. And I am an honorary doctor for a Mongolian university.

And they have written to me to intercede, but there is nothing I can do except hope that the investigation and the trial can be carried out as soon as possible.

On the expected reduction of global crude oil prices and its effect on domestic retail oil prices.

I have to admit when the prices went up, our retail price did not go up for quite some time. The government must have lost some money [...] the government is spending a bit more time thinking about it. If it (global oil prices) stays low, the government might reduce domestic retail oil prices, but I'm not the government though I talk as though I am...

On writing his memoirs.

It's taking a lot of time. It's very difficult. I don't know how to write on all these things about myself. I've forgotten most of the things already. I don't think it is a very interesting story anyway.

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