Two opposition parties in Malaysia plan to lodge 15 police reports nationwide against Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad hours after he steps down for alleged abuse of power and misconduct, an official said today.

"We want the police to investigate Mahathir for abuse of power during his 22 years in office," Salahuddin Ayub, youth chief of the hardline Islamic Party (PAS) told AFP .

Police said they would accept the reports but warned people not to participate in any illegal procession to hand them in.

Mahathir, when asked about the planned action, said: "If I have done something wrong, they can take me to court."

Action against procession

Mahathir steps down at 3:00 pm today and his chosen successor, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, will be sworn in as the new premier.

Salahuddin said he would make a report to police in Kuala Lumpur at 5.00pm together with Keadilan youth chief Ezam Mohamad Noor.

Keadilan is led by Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the wife of jailed former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar, 56, once seen as heir to Mahathir, claims he was sacked and later charged with sodomy and corruption to prevent a political challenge to Mahathir.

City police chief Dell Akbar Khan said police have received information that an assembly would be held late today in Kuala Lumpur before the reports against Mahathir are presented.

"We'll take action if they hold a procession but if they merely want to file police reports, we can accept anyone who come to make the reports," he was quoted as saying by the Bernama news agency. - AFP