Former deputy prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was sworn on Friday as the fifth Malaysian prime minister, taking over from Mahathir Mohamad, who has led the nation for 22 years, report agencies.

Mahathir, 77, whose comments about Jewish domination of the world at an Islamic summit two weeks ago evoked  protests from Western powers, is credited with putting Malaysia in the front rank of newly industrialised countries.

Often seen as combative, he is also a respected spokesman for the region as well as the Islamic community. He was scathing in his opposition to the US  led strikes on Iraq, and had once declared -- in response to charges that Australia was acting as US sheriff in the region -- "I can assure Australia that if it acts as a sheriff in this country, it will be treated as a terrorist and dealt with as a terrorist."

But while the national and regional media was dominated by reports and advertisements praising Mahathir's role, Western embassies remained silent. A wire service quoted a US embassy official in Kuala Lumpur as saying that "the embassy has not received any message from the White House," and that many of the mission's staff were more focused on Halloween festivities than Mahathir's last day in office.

"I don't have any comments to make except to re-emphasise the fact that the links between Australia and Malaysia are very long, they are very deep," Australian Prime Minister John Howard told a Melbourne radio station.

As per protocol and normal practice, "a message of goodwill is being sent to Abdullah Badawi," said a British diplomat in Kuala Lumpur.

Soon after coming to power, Mahathir's government took over one of the oldest British plantation companies in Malaysia. And in response to the ensuing criticism in the British media and the London Stock Exchange, he launched a 'Buy British Last' policy against the country's former colonial ruler.

Speaking on the eve of his retirement, Mahathir was modest about his place in history. "As Shakespeare said, the evil that men do lives after them and the good is oft interred in their bones."

Badawi, the new prime minister, is known in Malaysia as 'Mr Nice Guy'.