Prime Minister Dr Mahathir presided over what is to be his last major Barisan Nasional gathering before his prospective retirement next month.

The premier marked the 50th anniversary of the coalition at the Merdeka Stadium in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon, joining a 50,000 strong crowd, said the Bernama news agency.

The event, themed 'Power Sharing behind Malaysia's Success', was organised to celebrate the success of the 14-party coalition in ruling the country for the past 50 years.

According to Bernama , Mahathir will be delivering what is to be his last major address before his retirement next month to a BN crowd later in the evening.

In his speech earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Malaysia's success in the past 50 years had been due to the power-sharing formula of the multi-racial and multi-ethnic coalition.

"We will ensure that the government will not sideline any community or religion. All will have a place in this country," he was quoted as saying.

The deputy premier also said that all programmes and agendas implemented by Mahathir would be continued under his future administration.

Unite against opposition

Meanwhile, MCA President Ong Ka Ting praised the premier for his "sensitivity" to the needs of all communities in the country.

He said that although no one race could get everything it demanded, the balance had ensured stability in the country and narrowed race-based imbalances.

He also urged all BN component parties to unite against attempts by opposition groups to "create a nation envisaged by PAS that ignored the interests and values of various races in the country".

MIC president S Samy Vellu said the coalition remains the only viable protector of Indian community interests.

"They (Indian Malaysians) realise that only the BN government can struggle for them to ensure justice and allow them to share in the country's progress and prosperity," he said.

Samy attributed the coalition's success in growing from a two-party alliance to a 14-party coalition over the years to the consultative approach to solving problems or issues among component parties.

"In practising moderation, it is important to give and take and to be mindful of the sensitivities and feelings of every race," he said