The dominant party has formally backed a call from its leader, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, for religious moderation and supported his handling of the recent financial crisis.
Delegates at the United Malays National Organisation's (UMNO) annual conference said Dr Mahathir probably would not suffer after yielding to foreign pressure for spending cutbacks and for his U-turn on share-transaction policy.
But they saw increasing opposition to his attempts to ensure Malaysia remained a moderate Islamic state.
Several delegates were positive about the Prime Minister's handling of turmoil in the stock and money markets.
Party sources pointed out he had associated Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim with his actions.
Dr Mahathir even asked Mr Anwar during a televised press conference to explain the Government's approach.