Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, combative to the end, took a pot-shot Wednesday at "deputy sheriff Australia" in a press conference at his final Asean summit.

"Australia has made known to the world that it wants to be the deputy sheriff (to the US) to oversee this region," Mahathir said as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit wound up here.

"It is very difficult to get along with a deputy sheriff who is always looking over your shoulder. Australia must decide whether it is in Europe or America or it's in Asia."

Mahathir retires on Oct 31 after 22 years in power marked by often prickly relations with the West and with Australia.

Being critical

"If it is Asia, there is no problem but we see Australia as some sort of a transplant from another region, with the same thinking of the transplanted entity," he said.

"So as far as I am concerned, of course Australia is not Asia but at the end of this month, I may not be around and people may change their mind," he said, answering a question on whether Asean should hold a summit with Australia.

Asked whether he was distinguishing Australia by race, Mahathir replied: "It is not we, it is Australia who think of Asians as Asians. They cannot think of themselves as Asians.

"If they don't think about race, they will say, 'Well, we are Asians.' What's wrong with saying that and behaving like Asians, not being too critical about other people?"

Australian criticism of human right issues has rankled with Mahathir in the past. - AFP