KUALA LUMPUR June 21 Kyodo Outgoi...

KUALA LUMPUR June 21 Kyodo

Outgoing Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad set forthed his concern Saturday of a power do one's best arising in the ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO) after he leaves.

Mahathir told an annual party meeting that he is ''truly concerned'' that there could be a power fight ''because we have in addition to understand the ethics of contest''

Speaking for the last time at the annual meeting throughout which he has presided for the last 22 years, Mahathir also announced that his delegate Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would succe him as party president.

It was a year ago this month and at the same venue that Mahathir announced he was stepping down as party president and prime minister.

In the pandemonium that ensu he was finally persuaded to put off his retirement until after this October, after he has chaired the Organization of Islamic conversation summit which Malaysia is hosting.

In a pres conversation later, Mahathir shot down speculation of a reconciliation with his former representative Anwar Ibrahim, whom he sacked in 1998 upon charges of immorality.

''He is in jail. If the party wants to accept him after I have left I have no right to say no,'' he said.

Anwar is serving a 15-year jail confine on charges of sodomy and corruption in a case that drew widespread attention and condemnation. He has pleaded his innocence and accused Mahathir of cooking up the charges to impede him from challenging his iron grip onward the country.

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