Malaysia's prime minister said his government will respond soon to allegations of mismanagement made by his influential predecessor, Mahathir Mohamad, in an acrimonious political duel that has raised fears of instability.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, whom Mahathir hand-picked as his successor, said late on Monday that relevant ministries would provide explanations in detail.
"The answers can be put out but it has got to be done by the relevant ministries, not by me," he was quoted as saying by his assistant press secretary, Wan Esuriyanti Wan Ahmad.
Mahathir has thrown Malaysian politics into turmoil since accusing Abdullah of reversing his policies, including the scrapping of several large infrastructure projects. Chief among them was Abdullah's decision to abandon a plan to build a new bridge to Singapore, one of Mahathir's pet projects.
In his most explosive criticism yet, Mahathir told reporters last Wednesday that he may have made a mistake in choosing Abdullah as his successor when he retired in October 2003. He also said he had been "stabbed in the back" by many supporters, hinting that Abdullah was one of them.
Although Mahathir has no official say in the government, he retains considerable influence in the ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO) party. There are concerns that if Mahathir's allegations resonate with many UMNO members, Abdullah's days in office could be numbered, leading to a split in the party and political chaos.
Business leaders have warned that such a situation would hurt investor confidence and damage the economy.
But on the surface, Abdullah appears to have the party's support.
Seventy-eight members of the parliament and senate met Abdullah on Monday to show their solidarity.
"We told the prime minister not to worry, that we are always with him because what's important is the country's political stability," said Raja Ahmad Zainuddin Raja Omar, a member of parliament.
Lim Kit Siang, Malaysia's top opposition leader in parliament, urged ruling party lawmakers to seek a vote of confidence in Abdullah's leadership when the legislature convenes June 26.
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