KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- In the coffee shops and tea houses of this modernized, stylish city, the hushed talk is of a faltering economy, rising racial tensions, and the man Malaysians either love or loathe. Old political warhorse Mahathir Mohamad, now 81 and recovering from a recent heart attack, has yet again demonstrated his refusal to retire gracefully with the mantle of respected elder statesman. After antagonizing his anointed successor as prime minister on a range of issues -- even accusing the Abdullah Badawi government of presiding over a police state -- and recently wading in on the side of Thailand in its political row with his old enemy Singapore, Mahathir now plans to conduct a "war crimes" tribunal.
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