Former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim has claimed to have heard from former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who sent his regards via friends "in the establishment".

However, Anwar - whose relationship with his former mentor has deteriorated - refused to speculate on the meaning of the kirim salam message.

"No signal... I don't want to interpret this as anything beyond courtesy," he told malaysiakini when met at a dinner with the Chinese community in Sungai Petani, Kedah, last night.

"I was not surprised. I think he (Mahathir) was just being polite. This's something very normal in Malay and Muslim etiquette."

Asked how he had responded, Anwar said: 'I took it in good faith and sent my regards to him too. I have already said I bear no malice towards him, although it's not a matter of forgetting. So it was not difficult to send my regards."

Anwar, once heir-apparent to Mahathir who groomed him over a period of 17 years, was sacked from the government in September 1998.

He was then charged with corruption and jailed for six years. A separate conviction for sodomy was overturned on appeal by the Federal Court four months ago, and Anwar was released from the Sungai Buloh prison where he had begun serving the nine-year sentence.

Nationwide roadshow

Meanwhile, the dinner held at a Chinese temple was well-received , with some 1,000 supporters - most of them Chinese Malaysians - paying RM50 each to attend.

Anwar was greeted with thunderous applause when he arrived with his eldest daughter, Nurul Izzah. There were performances of traditional Indian music and a lion dance.

His speech in Bahasa Malaysia included a smattering of colloquial Chinese. He reiterated his support for mother tongue education and spoke about the importance of weeding out corruption.

Anwar then attended a ceramah in a nearby village, where some 5,000 supporters had gathered.

Speaking in a strong Kedah accent, he peppered his speech with jokes and stories.
He claimed that three "Umno ustaz (religious teachers)" were sent by Mahathir to Indonesia to convince people there that "I am bad".

"They were asked to refer to the teachings of Islam. They did not follow the teachings of Islam, but the instructions of the powers-that-be."

Anwar is on a nationwide road show to meet supporters. Since Saturday, he has held a series of ceramah in Kota Bahru, Johor Bahru and Temerloh.