Lee and Mahathir governed with a mixture of iron hand and free market policies, relying on foreign money to turn their countries into regional economic powerhouses in the 1980s. But their time in office was marred by a simmering rivalry and prickly government-to-government relations, primarily because of Mahathir's combative style and disdain for Singapore.

"I am very glad to see that he is quite well," said Mahathir, 78, after a one-hour meeting with 81-year-old Lee, who arrived here on a four-day private visit. He "is his old self, interested in so many things."

Lee, who was prime minister from 1965 to 1990, took over the post of senior minister after stepping down. He was later elevated to the post of mentor minister, acting as an adviser to the government while his son, Lee Hsien Loong, is the prime minister.

Mahathir, prime minister since 1981, stepped down in 2003, handing over power to Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Mahathir says he has retired from active politics, but retains a private office in Putrajaya, Malaysia's administrative capital, where the meeting with Lee took place.

Their last meeting in September 2001 to resolve a dispute over the sale of Malaysian water to Singapore had ended in a deadlock. Mahathir told reporters that Lee asked him for an assessment of Abdullah's government, and he replied that he couldn't answer that question.

"I explained to him that when I stepped down I promised myself that I will not interfere with the government. I will not make comments ... because I don't want to be hampering the government in whatever it has to do."

He said Lee asked him about the possibility of the Muslim-majority Malaysia being ruled by Islamists.

"I don't think so. Malay Muslims are very rational. There are some who are not knowledgeable about Islam who can be misled. But the majority of Muslims in Malaysia know what Islam is all about and cannot be easily led by people who pretend to be Islamic," Mahathir said.

He said Lee was also interested in knowing about the political future of Mahathir's former deputy Anwar Ibrahim, now trying to make a comeback after being fired.

"I think he still has the capacity to cause trouble. He may make a comeback but I doubt he can make any headway," he said.

Mahathir said they also exchanged views on how to write memoirs. Mahathir said he told Lee: "I am very slow. I write long hand. I am not very good at writing books. So you won't see my memoirs until I am forgotten, have grown old and senile."

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