He has business links - and thus access to campaign funds should he decide to run for a major post again - and a solid power base in northeastern Kelantan state.

CNN: WHO'S NEXT UP IN LINE?

PAS, which increased its hold on the north-eastern state of Kelantan and gained control of its neighbour Terengganu.

ECONOMIST: Malaysia

PAS. It has long held power in the northern state of Kelantan but in the election it also won control of neighbouring oil-rich Terengganu.

ECONOMIST: But the government faces an anxious future

More recently, when the conflict in southern Thailand re-erupted in 2004, the shadowy insurgent movement found refuge by blending in with the people of the neighboring Malaysian state of Kelantan, who speak a virtually identical dialect and share a similarly proud royal heritage their two sultanates having intermarried through the ages.

WSJ: Michael Vatikiotis: Malaysia the Moderate Peacemaker

At the time he was on a sensitive visit to Kelantan, the only Malaysian state not run by Dr Mahathir's party, and instead governed by the Islamic Parti Islam Se-Malaysia, which was behind the anti-Israeli demonstrations.

ECONOMIST: Malaysia

Pas more than tripled its seats in Parliament in the November polls and won the state government of resource-rich Trengganu as well as keeping Kelantan.

CNN: No More Mr. Nice Guy