Former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad reportedly said today that he was not aiming to unseat his handpicked successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi despite a series of blistering attacks.

"I have no intentions of toppling Abdullah and I am not trying to make a political comeback," he was quoted as saying by The Star newspaper.

"But something has gone very wrong, and I hope Abdullah will do something about it," he said.

Mahathir last week stepped up his campaign against Abdullah who was handed the top job three years ago, saying his successor had broken his promises and was damaging the country.

Mahathir said he had a habit of "choosing the wrong people" and that he had been "stabbed in the back".

However, in a sign of the veteran leader's waning authority, political leaders have rallied behind Abdullah to pledge their support and loyalty, and criticised Mahathir's comments as damaging and unfounded.

Mahathir had said that he did not understand the need to reverse decisions on mega-projects which he embarked on during his 22 years in power, dismissing the government's arguments the nation could not afford them.

With more than RM300 billion in national reserves and RM300 billion in the state pension fund, there was plenty of money in the national coffers to fund the projects, he said.

Post-PMS syndrome

Mahathir, who has complained that the government is trying to demonise him because he criticised its policies, said that personal attacks made by senior politicians in recent days were uncalled for.

"They accuse me of suffering from post-prime ministerial syndrome," he said, adding that he had only demanded answers over some of the government's decisions, including the scrapping of a proposed new bridge to Singapore.

Political commentators have speculated that Mahathir is attempting to engineer Abdullah's departure within his first term, which is due to expire in 2008.

Abdullah was initially seen as a one-term seatwarmer but appears now to have no intention of relinquishing power, and his heir apparent Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak has said he supports his leadership.