Tun Dr Mahathir, 82, waved cheerfully to photographers as he and his family left Kuala Lumpur's National Heart Institute, where he had spent much of his time in an intensive care ward after his Sept4 operation.

He had the bypass - his second since 1989 - after suffering two heart attacks since last November. He 'has made encouraging progress in his post-surgical rehabilitation process', according to a statement from the institute.

Tun Dr Mahathir is expected to continue with physiotherapy exercises at home and return to the institute for routine check-ups, the statement added.

ASSOCIATED PRESS, BERNAMA