A surprise challenge for the country's premiership by a veteran prince-politician has been brushed aside by members of the ruling party in a strong show of support for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, a former finance minister in the 1980s, announced last week that he would contest the leadership of Umno at its annual congress in September if he could win nomination.

The party president traditionally also becomes prime minister.

But in district nominations for the leadership, Abdullah has so far won 66 endorsements against Razaleigh's zero. To be eligible to run for the post of party president, a candidate requires 58 nominations from the 191 Umno divisions.

Razaleigh, a 67-year-old Malay prince from the poverty-stricken eastern Kelantan state, narrowly lost to ex-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad in a bitter contest for the party leadership in 1987 that split Umno.

The former finance minister formed a breakaway group that joined the opposition but later returned to Umno. Abdullah himself joined Razaleigh's faction briefly.

Test of relevance

Shamsul Amir Baharuddin, sociology lecturer at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said Razaleigh's contest was merely a test to see if he was relevant to Malay politics.

"It is a test for him. He wants to know if he is still relevant in the party since has played a major role in the economic development of Malays," he told AFP.

Shamsul said there was no doubt Abdullah would win hands down. "Abdullah's consensus style of administration is liked by many grassroots members," he said.

Hilmi Abdul Rashid, an Umno state assemblyman in Abdullah's home state of Penang, said the premier should secure an overwhelming victory over Razaleigh.

"I do not think Razaleigh's entry in the race would have any impact. Abdullah led Umno to a thumping victory in the March elections so we want to keep him as president," he told AFP , adding that "competition is healthy," and it would not hurt party unity.

Each Umno division has to nominate the party president, deputy president, three vice-presidents and 25 members of the Umno Supreme Council, the party's highest decision-making body. Umno has a membership of three million members.

While the divisional nominations are not binding when the 2,000 delegates vote at the assembly, they are a sign of popular support.

Damage unity

Razaleigh said that since the president's post was vacant after Mahathir's retirement - with Abdullah as acting president - he was contesting because he had strong support and to reflect democracy in Umno.

"We want to see the party progress and be stronger and we want to see the Malays progress. It must be filled by a leader who truly is the choice of the people through Umno's democratic principles," he was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times .

But his decision drew fire from Abdullah loyalists who fear it could damage unity built up since 1998 when deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim was sacked from the party by Mahathir and later jailed.

"Maybe he thinks he has got nothing to lose. But to me, it is an immature decision," said Adnan Yaakob, Pahang Menteri Besar.

Abdullah shrugged off Razaleigh's challenge. Asked whether the prince would be able to secure 30 percent of the nominations to be eligible to run against him, he replied: "I don't know. Umno members will decide on that."

Abdullah, who took over from Mahathir when he retired last October, led Umno to a landslide victory in elections in March.

Mahathir has also predicted that Razaleigh's bid will fail.

"He can't get anything, not even one vote except maybe from his own division," he said, adding that he believed party members should stick to the tradition of not contesting for the leadership.