Islam will test new Malaysia chief

For Western allies fed up with Mahathir's fiery rhetoric, his departure may be cause for celebration. President Bush's recent Asian tour, which emphasized antiterror cooperation, pointedly skipped Malaysia, despite its steely response to terrorist cells operating on its territory. Even before the remarks about Jewish domination, called "wrong and divisive" by Mr. Bush, ties between the two countries had soured over Iraq.

Mahathir's harsh criticisms of the US are "a personal reaction towards Bush," says Syed Hussein Alatas, a professor at the National University of Malaysia. "It has nothing to with Islamic politics in Malaysia ... and that's why there is no shift in relations as far as the West is concerned.".

Abdullah has kept a low profile in recent months, and officials say it will be business as usual after he takes over. He's unlikely to pull any punches in fighting terrorism: As home minister, he jailed scores of suspected militants under a colonial-era law that allows indefinite detention without trial.

But behind the scenes, politicians are jostling for position within UMNO, which has ruled Malaysia since independence in 1957. Analysts say Abdullah will need to consolidate his power ahead of next year's elections and is likely to skirt sensitive issues like affirmative action for Malays, a constant gripe for the remaining 40 percent of the population.

How Abdullah handles the PAS opposition, set to make further gains next year in state legislatures, will set the tone for Islamic politics in Malaysia.

Under Mahathir, Malays were given Islamic schools and told that Islamic values were central to government policies. But accusations of corruption in ruling-party circles that went unheard in Malaysia's muzzled media lingered, giving PAS a rallying cry.

That cry grew louder after the jailing in 1998 of Anwar Ibrahim, a former Muslim activist seen as Mahathir's successor, on charges that many saw as political revenge by the prime minister.

Mr. Anwar's supporters argue that Abdullah should ease the government's stifling grip on society if it wants to bring Islam into the mainstream and neutralize extremist voices.

"In the long run, you cannot project an image of modernized Islam unless you allow democratic dissent to come out in Malaysia," says Khalid Jaafar, director of the independent Institute for Policy Research in Kuala Lumpur.

But most analysts expect Abdullah to move slowly, if at all, on issues like corruption and free speech. Instead he will use his Islamic credentials to try to win back Muslim voters from PAS, while keeping an eye on potential challengers within his own party.

"What UMNO is worried about is losing the majority of Malay Muslims. If they lost that, they can't claim to be the party that represents Malays," says Mr. Gan.

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