Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak today warned the government must not alienate citizens by becoming distracted by its bitter feud with ex-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Najib, heir apparent to embattled Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who marked his third year in power today, said the administration must continue rolling out major projects under a national development plan.

"Above all, the effort, focus, concentration must not be sidetracked", he told a press conference. "We don't want to lose focus."

"I think we want to see the full concentration of the government towards fulfilling our promise to the people and to implement projects and programs," he said.

"At the end of the day, the government needs the support of the people. The best way for the government to get support is to ensure our promises are delivered."

Asked whether the government had already begun to lose its way, he replied only that: "We will have to manage. This is unprecedented. It is not something that we have experienced before."

Pak Lah's remarks

Until now Najib has put his support behind Abdullah, despite suggestions that Mahathir is attempting to engineer the departure of the prime minister, whom he has accused of corruption, nepotism and economic mismanagement.

"We will ensure the government, especially the prime minister, has the full support of members of the cabinet, administration as well as party members," Najib reiterated today.

Meanwhile Abdullah, who is attending the Asean-China summit in Nanning, China, told reporters the bitter row with Mahathir was not alienating voters and said he was open to any discussion to eject the former premier from the party.

"I am open to discussing anything at the supreme council meeting," he said.

"(As far as) I'm concerned, I am always open. Anything that is important for Umno to discuss is okay with me," he added.

Heated debate

Debate is raging within the ruling Umno over whether to dump Mahathir as an adviser to national oil company Petronas, carmaker Proton and the development authority on Langkawi Island.

A close ally of Abdullah today called for Mahathir to be stripped of all the government-linked positions. Umno's powerful supreme council is expected to address the issue of retaliation at its meeting Thursday.

"(Mahathir) must be sacked immediately from all positions linked to the government. Similar action must also be taken against all of his supporters," said Ahmad Darus, youth chief of Abdullah's political constituency of Penang's Kepala Batas.

There are also calls for Mahathir to be suspended or ejected from Umno, which has ruled Malaysia since independence in 1967.