Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad warned today that power struggles after his departure in October could see the ruling party ousted in future elections.

Presiding for the last time at the Umno annual assembly, Mahathir predicted the party would "follow the fate of those nationalist parties in other countries which no longer exist or which have lost power" if infighting continued.

"The struggle for posts in the party has become so critical that the party's interests, the interests of our race and the nation's interest have been pushed aside," he told more than 2,000 delegates.

"Umno and the Malays have become weak because of this attitude... if because of our unseemly struggle the party is weakened, we may lose everything."

Sabotaging members

The 77-year-old veteran premier, who has led Umno to victory in five general elections, also warned of a dangerous tendency for some members to "sabotage the party" when they were not chosen as candidates in general elections.

"They are willing to see the party lose and the opposition wins rather than see their colleague in the party win," he said.

Although such attitudes were not widespread, he said, it "points in a dangerous direction" and Umno would lose out in future polls not because the opposition was strong but because its members betrayed the party.

Mahathir, who will hand over the reins to his deputy Abdullah Ahmad Badawi after 22 years in power, beseeched party members to cast aside their self-interests and close ranks ahead of elections which must be held before the end of 2004.

As the backbone of the ruling coalition, "a weak Umno will bring disaster to all of us," he said.

"Our struggle, Umno and the Malays and the bumiputeras (indigenous people), is not over. There are still many things that we have to do," he said.

"Members of Umno must be ready to make sacrifices... stop the personal struggle and ensure the success of the party."

PAS under attack

The premier also trained his guns on the opposition PAS, the main threat to Umno in the elections.

He accused PAS of confusing and splitting the Malays by misinterpreting Islam to gain support, and implanting such wrong teachings in young children.

The government has halted funding to religious schools which have become "indoctrination centres" for PAS because "they have now reached the stage of trying to overthrow the elected government by force of arms, to terrorise, to rob and to kill people," he said.

Several PAS members have been held under a tough security law allowing detention without trial since 2001 on subversion charges. - AFP