KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 (AFP) - Anwar Ibrahim was quoted on Thursday as saying that influential ruling party members still support his reform struggle.
Anwar, jailed for the past six months and awaiting a verdict in his corruption trial, said support came from both inside and outside the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).
"If there is anyone in UMNO who says there is no support for me from within the party, he must be dreaming or fooling himself," Anwar was quoted by the Far Eastern Economic Review as saying in a written response from jail.
"There are influential party men still in communication with me and still pledging their support."
The newsweekly issued a statement with extracts from the interview to be carried in its next edition.
Anwar described his 73-year-old former mentor, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, as a "desperate politician" and said his own reform struggle was growing.
"Malaysians are tired of being talked down to and seeing democracy and freedom playing second fiddle to economic development. These feelings are growing stronger by the day," he was quoted as saying.
Anwar also criticised Mahathir's economic management. "Mahathir has been and continues to be in denial, blaming everyone except himself for Malaysia's economic woes. To do the right thing, one must first bite the bullet."
Mahathir imposed capital controls last September and fixed the value of the ringgit to deter speculators.