Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today he was "glad" that US financier George Soros, with whom he has had a long feud, had been convicted of insider trading by a French court.

Soros was Friday ordered to pay a 2.2 million euro (dollar) fine for his role in the failed takeover of the French bank Societe Generale 14 years ago.

"I'm glad to hear that," Mahathir told reporters during a visit to his parliamentary constituency in Kubang Pasu, Kedah. "It shows that he is not very ethical. He said I'm a menace to my own country he is a menace to the world community."