M'sia's covert power struggle

The gripping drama that is the spat between Malaysia's former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and his successor, Mr Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, has seen a respite for the past week. That's because both men were on holiday.

... It's hard to picture Dr Mahathir ever losing a battle. After all, he's won so many. But this time, it could well be that the seasoned politician has grossly miscalculated the situation. He is, ironically, the victim of his own success, for it was Dr Mahathir who concentrated all the levers of power in the hands of the executive.