(AFP) Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said there was no urgency to appoint a new finance minister.

Mahathir, who temporarily took over the finance portfolio following the unexplained resignation of Daim Zainuddin on June 1. said he was coping well in the portfolio.

"You can ask the ministry staff whether I am able to deal with finance work. If they say I've not attended to the work and papers in the Finance Ministry, then of course we may need a finance minister," Mahathir was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.

It was quite common for a prime minister to hold another post, he said, adding that he had previously also held the Home Affairs ministry portfolio.

This is the second time Mahathir has taken over the finance portfolio. He was in the job for four months after sacking Anwar Ibrahim as finance minister and deputy premier in 1998.

Mahathir was also asked to comment on a report that said Daim's resignation was due to a rift between the premier and Daim over banking mergers and the business involvements of Mahathir's sons.

Pre-budget dialogue

"The whole idea is to make me appear bad and to get rid of me. I'm afraid they find it difficult to get rid of me," said the premier, who marks his 20th year in office this month.

Mahathir has said he would chair the traditional pre-budget dialogue with various organisations beginning next week.

But he sidestepped a question on whether he would deliver the 2002 budget in parliament in October, saying he was familiar with the process as he had also announced the budget in 1998.