As Canada joins a global chorus of condemnation against last week's speech by Malaysian prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the unapologetic champion of the Muslim world says he will be more nasty and "I will be even more irresponsible after I step down from being the Prime Minister"

Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia's blunt prime minister may be retiring at the end of this month. But don't expect the mouth that roars to shut up anytime soon . Fresh from stirring up a global controversy by claiming that Jews rule the world by proxy and get "others to fight and die for them", Mahathir had this to say:

"I've said before that I will be even more irresponsible after I step down from being the Prime Minister. But, of course, not being the Prime Minister, probably people won't take notice of what I say. So I'll be more free to say nasty things, thank you."

The 77-year-old Mahathir, who retires at the month's end, was roundly criticised by the United States, Australia, Canada, Israel, Britain and the European Union, which said the comments about Jews "have no place in a decent world". He made the comments at the opening of the Organization of Islamic Countries summit in Kuala Lumpur.

In his speech, Mahathir called on Muslims to use brains as well as brawn to fight Jews who, he said, "rule the world by proxy."

The OIC brings together 57 nations home to one billion Muslims.

He told the leaders of the Islamic world that 1.3 billion Muslims could not be "defeated by a few million Jews."

"This tiny [Jewish] community has become a world power. We cannot fight them through brawn alone. We must use our brains as well," he said. Jews, said the Malaysian prime minister, had "invented socialism, communism, human rights and democracy" to avoid persecution and gain control of the most powerful countries.

He added that "the Jews" were "beginning to make mistakes" and Muslims could have "windows of opportunity... in the future."

The Malaysian prime minister also condemned what he called irrational terrorist attacks motivated by anger and suggested the Arab world should negotiate for peace.

While the speech sparked outrage in Jewish communities and the Western world, Muslim leaders and the Malaysian public were quick to defend the hugely popular leader.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar defended Mahathir, saying he had been misunderstood. "I am confident he has no anti-Jewish feeling," he said.

"Don't get emotional, overreacting to something and trying to create a storm when there is no storm at all."

Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre " which pursues the perpetrators of the Nazi genocide of the Jews " has expressed shock that Mahathir could make such comments, and at such a level.

"What is profoundly shocking and worrying is the venue of the speech, the audience and coming in the time we're living in," he said .

Mahathir's speech was an "absolute invitation for more hate crimes and terrorism against Jews". The speech was also condemned by the European Union and Germany in particular, as well as by the United States, Australia and other Western states.

Canada has asked its High Commissioner to lodge a formal protest in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysian diplomats in London and Berlin were summoned for a dressing down.

But Muslim leaders like Afghan President Hamid Karzai praised those parts of Mahathir's speech that concentrated on the need for education and development in the Islamic world, and said he did not consider it anti-Semitic.

As for Mahathir, the outrage was nothing new. Shaking off the condemnation and praise he met with reporters after the speech for 'a bit of fun'. In the midst of having to clarify himself over his controversial speech, Mahathir got a number of reporters laughing with witty responses to questions. Apparently there was more to come.

A news agency at the press conference wanted to know how he felt about Taiwan snatching away Malaysia's distinction of having the world's tallest building. The reply was: "They have one very tall building, taller than ours. But we have two (the Petronas Twin Towers).

"We have the distinction of being (home to) the tallest twin towers in the world. No one has tried that yet."

Alluding to reports that the US President George Bush had "promoted" Australia as Washington's "sheriff" in his part of the world, Dr Mahathir said: "Of course Australia has now been designated the sheriff, not the deputy sheriff, he (Australian Prime Minister John Howard) is now the sheriff.

"I can assure Australia that if he (Mr Howard) acts as a sheriff in this country, he will be treated as a terrorist and dealt with as a terrorist. "My foreign minister I think backs me on this." Dr Mahathir made his mark on the world by speaking out loudly against Western leaders.

While not popular in the West, his standing is high as a champion of Third World and Muslim causes. Political pundits say there is no indication that Dr Mahathir is going to surrender this pedestal after he retires.

When asked whether he would continue to make headlines with hard-hitting speeches after his retirement at the end of this month, Mahathir said after he retires he will be 'more free to say nasty things, thank you.'

"Dr Mahathir spoke of the inhibitions within the Islamic world and that those inhibitions must go away and I entirely agree with that," said the Afghan leader.

The BBC in a report said the reaction from delegates and Malaysians after the speech was very telling. One Malaysian Chinese reporter with an international news agency rushed to Dr Mahathir's aid. "He's my Prime Minister," she said. "Of course I'll defend him."

"But surely you don't believe all this about an international Jewish conspiracy" the BBC reporter asked him..

"Yes," she said. "It's true. Everyone knows it is."

An Iranian journalist privately took the same line. "Of course the Jews rule the world," he said. "Look at America. They control all the companies. The politicians need their money for elections so they support Israel."

"These were not the marginal neo-Nazis spilling their views over the internet, these were intelligent professionals. They agree with what Dr Mahathir said," the BBC reported.

The BBC report said many Malaysians were surprised that Dr Mahathir's remarks should attract so much condemnation in the West.

It added there is no understanding in Malaysia of the taboo that surrounds anti-Jewish views in the West.