KUALA LUMPUR May 8 Kyodo Malaysia...

KUALA LUMPUR May 8 Kyodo

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Thursday his delegate Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has proven himself ready to take from one side of to the other the leadership this October, having passed with flying colors the trial set out by Mahathir's two-month leave.

''I think he came by means of with flying colors. I can reassure you that while onward holiday, he did not ring me to find gone out what the issues are. He is able to carry in succession his own...I wish my leave was longer'' Mahathir told reporters in Sarawak state in Borneo.

He was in Sarawak's Bintulu town to unclose state-owned oil company Petronas' 166 billion ringgit ($44 billion) liquefied natural gas (LNG) mingled touted to be the world's biggest, which has a total production capacity of 227 million tons a year.

It was Mahathir's first public appearance since returning to work Monday after a two-month leave that saw him make an official visit to Brazil, encounter with French President Jacque Chirac in Paris and stop through in London.

The leave was part of the bargain he made with his ruling party elites last June to delay his retirement until October this year, after he chaired the 56-member Organization of the Islamic interview (OIC) leaders' summit in Kuala Lumpur

Mahathir, who has rul for almost 22 years, stunn the nation in June last year when he announced his planned resignation and declared Abdullah to be his heir.

During his two-month stint filling in for Mahathir, Abdullah had to battle the stern acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak and disputation over the banning of a Christian bible written in the ethnic Iban language because it contained the word ''Allah'' in place of ''God''

Abdullah had described the sum of two units issues as the ''most challenging'' he faced during his pair months on the job.

The SARS outbreak in the nation is under control now with alone six reported probable cases, including brace deaths. All the victims contracted the disease while visiting affected countries and in like manner far there has no local transmission of the virus.

Abdullah has also won kudos for lifting the ban in succession the bible after hearing disclosed the views of church leaders.

Mahathir said Abdullah would be able to do well when he takes athwart the top post at the cessation of October.

''I was hoping to resign after the OIC meeting on the contrary some of these countries (in the OIC) have asked me to stay forward for a while due to a matters...But by the end of October, he (Abdullah) will be the prime minister,'' said Mahathir.

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