Traumatic weekend for Malaysian politics

Prime Minsister Mahathir Mohamad breaks down after announcing his resignation, which he later withdrew

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- It will be business as usual for Malaysia's long-serving Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad following his shock resignation, then about face, at his UMNO party congress.

Mahathir, who has led the Muslim nation for 21 years, has talked of resignation before, but once again he has allowed himself to be persuaded to stay on.

The Malaysian leader stepped down for about one hour on Saturday night before party officials and family members convinced him to reverse his decision "for the good of the country".

Deputy Prime Ministeri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, said Mahathir would be going on a short break until July 3 and would be back to continue leading the nation, the New Sunday Times reports.

Abdullah said there would be no changes to Mahathir's planned working visit to Thailand from July 5 to 7.

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Opposition leaders, however, say the whole resignation was a carefully orchestrated ploy designed to bolster support for the ruling United Malays National Organization.

The ruling party is expected to call elections a year early in 2003 in a bid to reverse gains that the fundamentalists made in 1999 elections.

The political situation has become further confused by the death of Opposition leader Fadzil Noor Sunday morning.(Full story)

Noor, 65, led the fundamentalist Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party.

He died after failing to regain consciousness following heart bypass surgery two weeks ago, Associated Press reports.

Mahathir's political theater, played out in a televised broadcast, whipsawed the emotions of the nation and of the 2,000 delegates to the annual party congress.

Mahathir said that he was stepping down from his posts in the party and the governing National Front coalition, but was unable to say more before disbelieving supporters mobbed the podium.

Officials indicated that he had also planned to announce his resignation as prime minister, a post he has held for 21 years and, in the eyes of many Malaysians, no one else can fill.

Mahathir's departure would send a shockwave through Malaysia

Delegates shouted, "Long live Mahathir!" when Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah appeared at the podium and announced that Mahathir, who has led Malaysia for 21 years, had withdrawn the resignations.

Abdullah said that Mahathir had made a "shocking announcement that he wished to resign from all his posts in the party and government" but had changed his mind.

"I hope all UMNO members and members of the National Front remain calm and understand that Dr. Mahathir is still the prime minister, UMNO president and chairman of the National Front."

Earlier, the hall was a scene of pandemonium when Mahathir, giving a closing speech to the five-day congress, shifted from quoting Shakespeare and outlining government programs to state that he was resigning.

"I wish to announce I am resigning from UMNO and all positions in the National Front," Mahathir said, before being mobbed.

Mahathir, 76, had looked fit and combative, but suddenly sagged. He was eventually led to a meeting room and a doctor later entered. Officials said he had returned home before Abdullah announced the reversal.

The speech began as soon as live coverage of the South Korea-Spain soccer match at the World Cup ended, assuring a large national audience.

Mahathir is being urged to call elections a year early in 2003 to capitalize on disenchantment with the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party. The fundamentalists made gains against UMNO in 1999 in reaction against the firing and jailing of former deputy PM Anwar Ibrahim following a power struggle.

Anwar has been convicted of sodomy and corruption and is serving prison terms totaling 15 years. He accuses Mahathir of orchestrating a conspiracy to keep him from coming to power. The government denies it.

'Desperate attempt'

"This is another classic case of play-acting by UMNO and Dr. Mahathir," said Hatta Ramli, a fundamentalist party official. "I think this is a desperate attempt to fish sympathy and votes and he may call for an election soon."

Speculation has recurred in recent years that Mahathir would like to leave running UMNO to someone else while concentrating on his duties as prime minister.

His departure would send a shockwave through Southeast Asia, where Mahathir is the only statesman of global stature despite Malaysia's small population of 23 million. He has been a frequent critic of globalization.

Mahathir has championed the economic advancement of the Malay Muslim majority while juggling sensitive racial issues with the ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities to build one of Asia's richest countries.

Recently, he has emerged as a moderate Muslim leader committed to battling terrorism. Malaysia has arrested 62 people over the past year who are suspected of plotting terror attacks and attempting to establish a pan-Islamic state in Southeast Asia.