Malaysia govt says now at war with ex-PM Mahathir

KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 (Reuters) The Malaysian government declared ''open war'' with ex-premier Mahathir Mohamad today after enduring weeks of stinging criticism by the former leader.

Cabinet minister Nazri Aziz said the government would no longer tolerate attacks by Mahathir, who has questioned the current premier's leadership and accused the government of lacking ''guts''.

''We go to war. He has declared a war against us,'' Nazri, minister in the Prime Minister's Department, told reporters at the parliament building.

''For two or three months we kept quiet...we restrain ourselves.

He took it as a weakness on our part and continued to attack us,'' he added.

''We kept quiet hoping things will cool down.'' Mahathir has fallen out with his hand-chosen successor, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, mainly over decisions to scrap major state projects that had been initiated by Mahathir's administration.

Abdullah, who took over from Mahathir in late 2003, has declined to respond publicly, leaving his ministers to comment. But his silence appears to have further angered Mahathir who goaded the prime minister at the weekend to say something.

''Now I don't know who is in power,'' Mahathir, 80, told a public debate in Kuala Lumpur. ''If you ask a question, he does not answer.

Others will answer.'' Mahathir ruled for 22 years, Malaysia's longest-serving premier, and he still commands powerful support in the main ruling party, the United Malays National Organisation.

REUTERS SHR ND1556