Malaysians will vote for continuity if deputy premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi faces an election after taking over from Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, political analysts said today.

An Asian diplomat said Mahathir's announced plan to quit had scared Malaysians and they would not risk a change in the political landscape by voting for hardline Islamists in the opposition PAS.

"Since the Sept 11 terror attacks, most Malaysians, including moderate Malays have returned to Umno and the ruling National Front (BN) at the expense of PAS," the diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Mahathir is the president of Umno, the backbone of the ruling coalition.

Abdullah, 62, is tipped to take over the Umno leadership when Mahathir steps down, and party insiders say general elections, which are due only by late 2004, are likely to be held at least a year earlier.

The top two leaders of Umno traditionally assume the posts of premier and deputy premier.

Voting pragmatically

Abdullah was appointed deputy premier in February 1999 to replace Mahathir's charismatic former deputy Anwar Ibrahim, who was sacked and jailed in September 1998.

Umno's main opposition, PAS, is now led by hardliner Abdul Hadi Awang, who is expected to be the party's new president after the death of Fadzil Noor last Sunday.

"With Hadi pushing to introduce Hudud laws (Islamic syariah criminal law), it scares non-Malays and moderate Malays.

"Already they are concerned about a national leadership change. Hence they will vote pragmatically. They will rally behind the ruling coalition under Abdullah," he said.

Teresa Kok, lawmaker with the opposition Chinese-based DAP told AFP that PAS's hardline policies did not go down well with non-Malays.

"The ruling National Front will definitely win big in the next election ... even if Abdullah leads. Votes for PAS will decline sharply," she said.

S Veersingam, vice-president of the MIC, a senior coalition partner said that Indians would also rally behind Abdullah.

"Abdullah will continue Mahathir's policies. Mahathir has set the ball rolling. Indians will vote the ruling coalition not PAS," he said.

Muslims make up 60 percent of Malaysia's 23 million population, but large Chinese and Indian minorities follow Buddhism (19 percent), Christianity (nine percent) and Hinduism (six percent).