IT SOUNDS a depressingly familiar Malaysian story. An outspoken political activist accuses the Prime Minister of being corrupt, authoritarian and intimidating opponents. The two antagonists meet, but the lone crusader refuses to stay silent. Soon he is reporting the inevitable retribution — threats against his relatives, and a whispering campaign casting doubts on his sanity.

But this is not the story of an isolated human rights activist or lonely left-wing MP.

The figure in question is 80-year-old Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia’s former Prime Minister, famous for his merciless intolerance of dissent and opposition.

The object of his denunciations is his successor, 66-year-old Abdullah Badawi, a man known, if anything, for his mildness of temper.

For months tension has been rising between the two men. Last week it boiled over, just before yesterday’s third anniversary of the handover from Dr Mahathir to Mr Abdullah. The older man accuses his one-time protégé of running a “police state”, of tapping text messages and eavesdropping on the internet.

During his 22 years as prime minister, Malaysians grew accustomed to Dr Mahathir’s short fuse and rants against the West, liberal democracy and anything else that upset him. But even they are shaking their heads over the ironies of his latest outburst.

Dr Mahathir is a towering presence in South-East Asia, the man who more than anyone else shaped the modern Malaysia. After coming to power in 1981, he was unassailable, a figure of vast energy who goaded Malaysians into unprecedented economic achievement while fulminating against the arrogance of the West.

Malaysia was a democracy, but a timid one in which the press agreed with almost everything the government said. Those who spoke out against the government were liable to find themselves locked up without trial under the British colonial era’s Internal Security Act.

One of the low points for human rights came in 1998 when Anwar Ibrahim, his then deputy, was arrested on charges of sodomy and corruption — charges that many still regard as trumped up by allies of Dr Mahathir, who felt threatened by the younger man’s popularity. He appeared in court with his face bruised from a beating in police custody. The perpetrator, it later turned out, was Dr Mahathir’s own chief of police.

It is this record which makes his criticisms of Mr Abdullah rather hard to swallow. It is rather as if Margaret Thatcher were to have spent her retirement denouncing John Major for his abrasive manner and refusal to build consensus.

Under the new Prime Minister, the press has become more free to criticise the authorities, and alleged Islamic fundamentalists have been released from their detention without trial.

Dr Mahathir also accuses Mr Abdullah of improperly helping a relative to obtain contracts under the notorious UN oil-for-food programme in Iraq — accusations that he denies.

“In a situation where no one can criticise the Prime Minister, I have to voice my criticisms on matters that do not concern my personal being but only those concerning the interest of the religion, race and country,” Dr M, as he is known, said. “A climate of fear has enveloped this country.”

If he didn’t seem as sharp as a scalpel in other respects, you may suspect that Dr Mahathir had gone a bit potty — a suggestion that he addressed last week. “Attempts are made to disparage me so badly that I am made out to be of unsound mind,” he said. “Repeatedly, allegations were made that the administration during my time was worse.”

A meeting between the two men eight days ago did nothing to clear the air. Last week, Mr Abdullah spoke wearily of Dr Mahathir’s “doses of venom”.

“What else can be done?” he asked. “He wants to continue.”

THE OUTSPOKEN WORD

1997 he denounced currency speculators during the Asian economic crisis as “rogues, robbers, anarchists and brigands”

October 2003 he said that Israel was “the enemy allied with most powerful nations”

November 2002 On accusations that he was a dictator: “This is the first dictator in the world who has resigned while still quite healthy”

January 2003 he told the United States that “out-terrorising the terrorists will not work”

September 2006 he said the West had become “deranged” by September 11

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