(AFP) Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today strongly criticised a High Court judge who complained that he was pressured by a superior legal officer to drop a politically sensitive case.

"So now we have problems in trusting the courts because he (Muhammad Kamil Awang) has now tarnished the image of the courts," Mahathir told reporters.

Lawyers and other groups have praised justice Muhammad Kamil for his courage in disclosing what he said was a telephone directive from a superior judge to drop the case.

Mahathir also cast doubt on the judge's account of the directive.

"I'm not so sure as a telephone conversation is not so easy to verify," he said.

"Whether he was actually told to dismiss the case or not, I don't know, but apparently he was not able to prove it either."

"But he has succeeded in dragging the courts into public controversy by saying that another judge has him asked to make a decision that is not quite right," Mahathir added.

Mahathir, making his first comment on the controversy, criticised Muhammad Kamil for speaking out and said he should have come to him (Mahathir) for help.

Report to big boss

Muhammad Kamil sparked a furore earlier this month when he said in a court judgement that a superior officer ordered him in 1999 to strike out two petitions alleging fraud in state elections in Sabah earlier that year.

The judge said he ignored the telephone directive because he was not a "yes man".

He ordered a member of Mahathir's ruling coalition to vacate his seat in the state assembly, ruling it was won with the help of "phantom voters".

Opposition parties at the time alleged massive fraud in the 1999 Sabah state polls which the ruling coalition won.

Mahathir said the judge should have disqualified himself from hearing the election petitions.

"When you have that problem, he should immediately say that I have been called (by another judge)."

"Because if he is afraid of his boss, he can report to me."

Eusoff Chin, who was chief justice in 1999, has admitted telephoning Muhammad Kamil but has denied he told him to strike out the petitions from two losing candidates.

Eusoff has said he called merely to direct the judge to speed up the case and described this as normal practice.

Muhammad Kamil, who retires from the judiciary today, had described Eusoff's account of their conversation as far-fetched.

Personal affair

Critics of the government say judicial independence has long been under threat. In 1988 the most senior judge and other top judges were removed from office for alleged misconduct following a series of rulings against the government and Mahathir's party.

Mahathir also criticised Muhammad Kamil for making the denouement a personal affair.

"I must say that I am disappointed with the judge after reading what had actually happened," Bernama news agency quoted him as saying.

"And for the first time the judge includes his personal frustrations, in fact in his judgement, which is unprecedented in the history of the court."

Muhammad Kamil in his judgement had remarked that many government departments did not respond to letters and cited two examples involving his family.