Two years after taking power, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is still struggling to establish himself as leader and edge aside veteran premier Mahathir Mohamad who has not faded quietly into retirement.

Abdullah has made important steps in his headline campaign to fight the corruption that has for decades dogged the ruling party and the nation in general, but critics say his efforts have been too timid and piecemeal.

And despite a landslide election victory last year, he is still seen as a lone figure in his own government, with little backing for his reform proposals from a cabinet full of Mahathir-era figures with their own agendas
and allegiances.

Mahathir, who shaped modern Malaysia in his 22 years in power and made a huge impact on the international stage by sheer force of his personality, was always going to be a hard act to follow.

And in the competition for political oxygen since Oct 30, 2003, when he was handed the top job, the grandfatherly Abdullah has proved no match for Mahathir, who from his office atop Kuala Lumpur's iconic Petronas Twin Towers continues to enjoy an extremely high public profile.

"I think he's trying very hard to step out of his shadow, but Mahathir is not making it very easy for him," said Steven Gan, founder of the malaysiakini news website.

"He has not retired quietly and over the past few months he is really making a lot of noise, issuing press statements, calling press confererencs, writing letters - not what you would expect from a former PM," he said.

Mahathir, who recently turned 80 but is as dapper and vocal as ever, has made no secret of his disapproval over some of Abdullah's initiatives, particularly when it comes to his pet projects like the Proton national
car.

"There is a bit of tension between Badawi and Mahathir. I think Mahathir is not too happy with some of the changes he has made... Mahathir is really trying to protect his legacy so he's been pretty open about that," Gan said.

Losing momentum?

On the corruption front, Abdullah has pulled off some coups including the axing of two cabinet ministers for vote-buying and fraud, and the establishment of a commission of inquiry into the police force.

But global corruption watchdog Transparency International said earlier this month that graft remained widespread in Malaysia and Abdullah had to show greater political will to stamp it out.

Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang said Abdullah has been merely tinkering with the problem instead of addressing it at an institutional level.

"There have been some baby steps to fight corruption and his pledge to have a people-oriented and efficient, clean and incorruptible government... but it's still not sufficiently deep and broad enough," he said.

However, within government ranks, lawmakers from Abdullah's ruling Umno describe a mood of openness on unpopular issues which could never have been contemplated during the Mahathir era, and the media is enjoying a measure of freedom.

"I think he has done something quite remarkable, in that people are very openly talking about corruption, talking about abuses, and many issues which are not popular as far as the government is concerned," said backbench leader Shahrir Abdullah Samad.

"Of course everyone wants to see a lot of blood and a lot of heads chopped off before they believe there's success in the government's efforts to reduce corruption. But it is happening in bursts and spurts."

Speculation has swirled for weeks that the premier is preparing a sweeping cabinet reshuffle with figures as high-profile as Trade Minister Rafidah Aziz, the "Iron Lady" of Malaysian politics, thought to be on the chopping block.

Lim said Abdullah, who is famously slow and deliberate in his decision-making, missed a golden opportunity after his March 2004 election victory to re-shape the cabinet by installing loyalists who would support his policy program.

"There is no doubt that he has not yet fully solidified himself as the undisputed leader," he said, noting that many candidates he opposed claimed key posts in Umno internal elections last year.

"The longer he waits the more he risks losing that political momentum. The long overdue cabinet reshuffle is his last opportunity to get going on the ground on his pledges."

Despite his travails, most analysts believe Abdullah can still count on the support of the public, who see him as a rare "Mr Clean" in Malaysian politics.

One of his main strengths is the goodwill and trust he inspires in ordinary Malaysians, a factor which has only grown this month with the death of his beloved wife, Endon Mahmood, from breast cancer.