Kuala Lumpur, Aug. 1 : Former Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has labelled former British Prime Minister Tony Blair a war criminal, and criticised the present government for extending an invitation to Blair to visit Malaysia.

"I am disgusted that Tony Blair has been invited to Malaysia. This man, to me, is a war criminal. Through instigating the war in Iraq, he has killed more than Radovan Karadzic and Saddam Hussein," said Mahathir at his office at the Petronas Twin Towers.

"Saddam has been hanged, Karadzic was recently arrested but this man goes around the world, lecturing on the rule of law," The New Strait Times quoted him as saying further.

Blair is to deliver a lecture here today on the "Rule of Law and Good Governance". The 22nd Sultan Azlan Shah Law Lecture has been an annual event of the Universiti Malaya since 1986.

Dr Mahathir, who is the chairman of the Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Tribunal, said Blair''s presence was no laughing matter and felt saddened that Malaysia, an Islamic country, would play host to a leader who contributed in ravaging another Islamic country. (ANI)