It is unlikely that the outspoken Dr Mahathir Mohamad will keep quiet once he steps down in October and it is up to his successor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, to deal with the outgoing prime minister's prominent public presence.

"It is up to the leader (Abdullah) himself," said former deputy prime minister Musa Hitam when asked whether the new prime minister would come under pressure from Mahathir's meddling. "A PM is a PM. Accountability and responsibility rests with him."

Musa said the premier, like his predecessors, would continue to express his opinion in public.

"Not only Mahathir but no prime minister or president could normally keep quiet (after retirement). Mahathir, like every past prime minister, will have his own views but what is wrong with that? Maybe it could even be positive," he said in an exclusive interview with malaysiakini last week.

"In a small way, I am an ex-DPM. I will have my views and express them. I think it is a good thing and we should encourage it." he added.

Musa, who was the first of Mahathir's four deputies, resigned in 1986 after citing irreconcilable differences with the premier.

A year later, the 69-year-old Umno veteran teamed up with Mahathir's former nemesis Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and mounted an unsuccessful challenge against the premier in the party polls.

PM serious about quitting

Speculations have arisen over whether the 77-year-old premier would continue to have a prominent public presence following his retirement hence eclipsing his more reticent successor Abdullah.

Some of Mahathir's detractors have suggested that he would create a position for himself similar to that of Singapore Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew. Others have even questioned whether he would change his mind come October.

However, Musa is adamant that Mahathir appeared set to leave the post which he has held for more than two decades.

"I am certain that he is leaving. I know him and I have never heard him as serious as he has been and he is going. He is intelligent enough. He knows when his time is up and how to stick on to it," he added.

Musa also quashed rumours that he is planning a political comeback.

"It irritates and insults me because (the speculators) categorise me as just another politician, but I have proven (myself). It has been so many years. In 1987, there was a patch of uncertainty but after that, I have not made any moves.

"In a way, it is a compliment that they pay attention to me. But the speculation is quite frustrating... I do wish that people would take my statements in good faith because they come from a person who has gone through so much and genuinely wants to contribute rather than from a person with an ulterior motive," he added.

Mahathir a 'one-man show'

Musa, who was the former chairperson of the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), also brushed off claims that the speculations of him returning to active politics reflected the lack of confidence in Abdullah.

He said it was only natural for people to feel uncertain when faced with changes.

"I would go so far only to say that it is in human nature for us to be afraid of the unknown especially once you are so used to the known. And the known in this case has been over 20 years.

"I am trying to inject that degree of confidence. Change must be accepted and you would not know unless you try," he said.

Musa also noted that Malaysians must first accept the differences between Mahathir and Abdullah and not expect the latter to do things the same way as his predecessor.

"Don't expect a clone. Don't expect someone who is even going to do exactly or almost exactly as Mahathir has done. Mahathir was a one-man show. Thank God that he was a one-man show and did well, all things considered.

"But Abdullah is not like that... he would need to have a good back-up team where he could supervise everything and others would have to deliver," he said.

Choice of deputy

However, Musa, who is now the chairperson of plantation giant Guthrie, was guarded about his own possible contribution to the future administration despite popular belief that he was Abdullah's mentor.

He denied any role in the so-called 'back-up team'.

"I have not been invited for anything. I have a problem right now and it is that people speculate about me a lot. So I will not do more than answer this question."

Nevertheless, Musa was upbeat about future prospects under the leadership of Abdullah and played down concerns over a possible split in Umno over the latter's choice of deputy.

"Every time there is a new prime minister, there will be the question of who will be his deputy and there would be power struggles. But isn't this a political process?

"I am personally of the view that a contest is okay. Surely a mass organisation like Umno would have its own (personalities) with their followers, the factions and groups," he said, adding that he did not subscribe to the view that a split would weaken the party.

Worried about infighting

Although Mahathir had publicly expressed support for Umno vice-president and Defence Minister Najib Razak for the deputy post, Abdullah has remained silent.

Apart from Najib, others in the running are the two other elected vice-presidents Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and former Selangor Menteri Besar Muhammad Muhammad Taib..

Abdullah's silence on the matter prompted Mahathir to say in an interview with Umno-owned Malay daily Utusan Malaysia in June that he feared infighting in the party for the deputy president post.

However, he said Abdullah's position as party president once he steps down is unlikely to be challenged.

Asked on this, Musa refused to be drawn into the speculation. "Could you please direct the question to the incoming prime minister?...We wait, we wait," he said.

Tomorrow: Umno's chances in the next general election