NEWSWEEK: Most analysts are saying the Malaysian people were endorsing you personally, not just the ruling coalition or your message. How does that make you feel?

ABDULLAH: It makes me feel good, but at the same there’s a feeling of responsibility. The feeling that I have to deliver now. It’s a sobering feeling.

Although PAS was routed in the elections, it still maintains some degree of public support. Are you concerned that certain elements within fundamentalist Islam will conclude that democracy is not for them and decide to go down a more extremist path?

At the moment, I don’t believe they’d want to do that. They will stay around.

Malaysia is a modern, successful Muslim nation. Do you see your country as a role model for the Middle East?

I will put it this way. We want to showcase Islam–Islam that is progressive, Islam that is tolerant and Islam that provides experiences and teachings that allow [Muslims] to live peacefully with those of other religions. When it comes to extremism, when it comes to dealing with terrorists, whether they are of Muslim faith or non-Muslim faith, we have to deal with that.

Malaysia may be showcasing itself, but is the Islamic world looking hard enough?

I think they are. There are many countries that I believe are very interested in what we’re doing.

What about the United States? Your predecessor, Mahathir Mohamad, had a sometimes rocky relationship with Washington.

We have a good bilateral relationship with the United States. Our differences have only been on political issues. We have a strong, principled stand on issues–we are against war. We support multilateralism, not unilateralism. We believe in the United Nations.

Next week Indonesia will hold parliamentary elections, and the nationalist-secularist parties are again expected to dominate, as they did here. What conclusions can we draw about the strength of political Islam in Southeast Asia?

I don’t know if Indonesia will draw any lessons from what’s happened here. Indonesians have their own problems. [In Malaysia] we cannot look for models to follow from any other Muslim country. No way. We are unique. We have a multiracial society, and the population of non-Muslims is very high. That is a blessing for us. It teaches us to be tolerant, to know that [non-Muslims] exist; to know that they are also Malaysians and that they have their rights guaranteed by the Constitution.

If you cannot enact most of your campaign promises during this five-year term, it’s possible there could be a backlash against you by Muslim voters.

I’m very aware of that. [There are] very high expectations. We have to work harder. I told [the voters that] if you give me a big mandate, I will work harder.