It was business as usual for Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad as he marked his 21st year in power Tuesday and his ruling party geared up for crucial by-elections in his homestate Kedah.
The veteran premier had no scheduled public engagements for the day and would spend his 21st anniversary in his office in Putrajaya, his purpose-built administrative capital south of Kuala Lumpur, an aide said.
"It's work as usual for the prime minister," he told AFP .
Later in the evening, Mahathir would watch an aircraft demonstration before calling it a day, he added.
The 76-year-old premier has just returned Monday from a two-day trip to Kedah to campaign for Umno in THursday's by-elections.
Umno faces a tough fight from the opposition PAS for the Malay heartland in a test of the public mood ahead of impending a general election, which must be called by 2004 but is widely expected next year.
The Pendang parliamentary and the Anak Bukit state seats fell vacant following the death of PAS leader Fadzil Noor last month and a victory is crucial for Umno before Mahathir hands over power to his deputy Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in October 2003, analysts say.
Winning the Anak Bukit seat will see Umno regain the two-thirds majority rule in the Kedah state assembly and a victory in Pendang will further boost its confidence in the general election.
"It will be a tough fight but we are going all out to win both seats. That is the best gift we can give to the prime minister," said a senior Umno member.
Insurance tribute
With the political fraternity distracted by the polls, the insurance industry has taken on the task of organising a grand tribute to the man who has dominated the lives of Malaysians for the past 21 years.
Three insurance associations are sponsoring a major concert on July 27 at the national stadium and some 100,000 people are expected to attend the "One Nation We Care: An evening with our Prime Minister" event.
"Together we shall show our appreciation for Dr Mahathir for his 21 years of leadership. As Malaysians, we are going to care for a man who has given us so much," said organising committee chairman K H Chia.
Last year, the premier marked his 20th anniversary with a massive open-air dinner with some 25,000 guests in a square the size of a football field.
One of the world's longest serving leaders, Mahathir has cited "stability and relative racial harmony" as his greatest achievement in the last two decades and said he had no time to regret his mistakes.
He has changed the face of Malaysia with dramatic infrastructure developments - the world's tallest buildings, roads, ports and airports, the Multimedia Super Corridor for high-tech firms and even an entire new city, Putrajaya.
Global voice
He transformed the country from a commodities-based economy into a manufacturing centre, fostered a sense of national identity in multiracial Malaysia and gave it a global voice as a champion of the developing world.
But critics say the premier has also bent independent national institutions to his iron will and sought to stifle voices of dissent.
With 15 months to go before he steps down, Mahathir still follows a workaholic schedule despite a quadruple heart bypass in 1989. AFP
