PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (Reuters):

Former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad vowed yesterday to keep up his lonely attack on the Government, calling on his successor to quit and daring authorities to jail him for his comments.

The 81-year-old made the remarks after his humiliating defeat within the ruling party at the weekend, when he failed in a bid to become a delegate at the party's upcoming annual assembly.

At the election on Saturday, Mahathir was unable to win enough votes in his own home state to be elected as a party delegate. He had needed some 240 votes.

The man who led the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) to five straight general-election victories, and ruled for 22 years, polled just 227 votes.