Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the government did not give preferential treatment to a firm owned by his son, as alleged by ex-premier Mahathir Mohamed.

Abdullah, who is locked in a bitter row with his predecessor Dr Mahathir Mohamed, has been accused by the elder politician of using his status to help his son's business, Scomi Group.

"No project had been given to Scomi with my knowledge. I have not personally made any kind of decision to give any favours or concessions or for that matter any projects (to Scomi)," Abdullah said, according to the Star newspaper.

Abdullah's son, Kamaluddin Abdullah, whose company was caught up in the nuclear technology for Libya scandal, has made a fortune in the oil industry.

Abdullah had reviewed the Scomi report which he had received two days ago and checked it against the comments he had made on a special television interview.

"I have seen the report and I would like to say that what I had said was correct," he said.

Abdullah went on national television last month to deflect charges of corruption and nepotism, insisting his son Kamaluddin, one of Malaysia's richest men, had never used their relationship for business purposes.

Business from abroad

But Abdullah said he had since received a letter which had accused him of lying, and which listed government projects won by energy services company Scomi, in which Kamaluddin has a major share.

Abdullah said 80 percent of Scomi's business came from abroad and that any business procured from the national oil company Petronas was obtained through open tender.

The newspaper reported Abdullah as saying that Kamaluddin was never involved in government concessions and had never sought help from it.

Abdullah said his son had to search for projects overseas to avoid his business dealings to be linked with Abdullah.

Last week, Abdullah vowed to apologise to the nation if his son was found to have received business favours from the government.