(AFP) Umno will be holding its annual congress this week against a backdrop of political unease and a slowing economy as Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad marks his 20th year in power.

Mahathir, one of the world's longest-serving leaders, is likely to call upon his United Malays National Organisation (Umno) to reclaim the support of its Malay power base after mounting a crackdown on the opposition.

The 75-year-old premier and Umno president is also expected to renew a drive against "money politics" to improve the image of a party which is dogged by corruption and cronyism.

Umno's discipline board yesterday suspended another six senior officials accused of bribing their way to key posts, and reprimanded nine others. It has last month already suspended six members.

The board said it has received nearly 500 complaints of corruption.

Mahathir in remarks published over the weekend said money politics had become a "cancer" which could one day destroy the party.

Umno must show that it is still the best platform to fight for Malay interests and return to the "original struggle to uphold religion, race and country," he said.

With nearly three million members, Umno is the backbone of a coalition which has ruled Malaysia since independence.

Power struggles

Umno has periodically been rocked by internal struggles but Mahathir's grip on the party has been uninterrupted since he became premier in July 1981. Umno however lost support of Malays in the 1999 general election after the sacking and jailing of Mahathir's popular deputy Anwar Ibrahim.

Some 10 supporters of Anwar - now serving a total of 15 years in prison for abuse of power and sodomy - were detained without trial under a security law in a series of arrests April, sparking widespread outrage.

Six of them have since been sent to a detention camp to be held for two years while four have been released.

Robert Broadfoot, managing director of the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy in Hong Kong, said Mahathir appeared to have become more isolated from the people.

"Mahathir's approach tends to be confrontational and this doesn't help in winning back support ... it's going to be difficult to heal the rift in the Malay community," he said.

The Anwar factor has been marginalised but "still a strong influence in terms of a reflection against Mahathir," he added.

This year the premier lost a longtime ally, Daim Zainuddin, who quit as finance minister and Umno treasurer last month.

Restore confidence

Megat Najmuddin Khas, a senior Umno member and head of the Malaysian Corporate Governance Institute, said Mahathir was likely to focus on the economic slowdown to restore confidence after Daim's resignation.

"He will also do a lot of house-cleaning ... there are so many allegations of impropriety against Umno leaders, it's a chance for Mahathir to put things right," Megat said.

The government forecast the economy to slow to between five and six percent this year after a heady 8.5 percent growth in 2000.

Mohammad Agus Yusoff, political science lecturer at the National University of Malaysia, said Umno was now facing a "credibility crisis."

"I think Mahathir will set the future direction of Umno in terms of strategies and policies to portray Umno in a totally new image to win back support," he said.

Mahathir will on Tuesday informally brief some 2,000 Umno delegates before delivering a much-awaited keynote address when opening the three-day congress Thursday. The youth and women wings meet Wednesday.

Deputy Premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Mahathir's designated successor, has urged Umno members to close ranks and focus on the "bigger battle" of parliamentary elections which must be called by 2004.

"I hope there will emerge a mood to unite and a realisation that we have to work together, set aside our differences and focus on the next general election," Abdullah said.