Langkawi, Malaysia | AFP | Saturday by Patrick LEE Mahathir Mohamad, the nearly 100-year-old elder statesman of Malaysian politics, filed his candidacy Saturday in what is likely to be his final race, as campaigning for upcoming general elections began. Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob called for elections 10 months ahead of schedule, with the graft-tainted ruling party of jailed ex-leader Najib Razak seeking to cement its political comeback four years after it was dramatically voted […]
Tag: Mahathir
Malaysian ex-PM Mahathir stable after latest hospital admission
KULA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad is in a stable condition after being admitted to a specialist heart hospital for the third time in just weeks, his daughter said Saturday. The 96-year-old has been receiving treatment at the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur for the past two days, Marina Mahathir said. Media descended on the hospital as news spread that Mahathir had been admitted again, and current Prime Minister […]
Malaysian ex-PM Mahathir admitted to hospital
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, 96, was admitted to hospital Thursday and will undergo a full medical check-up, the medical facility said. The National Heart Institute said Mahathir arrived at 7:00 pm (1100 GMT) and is expected to stay there for the next few days. It did not say why he had been admitted and his aides declined to give further details. Mahathir has had heart problems in the […]
New Malaysia PM sworn in as Mahathir fights on
by Sam Reeves / Patrick Lee KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — A staunch Muslim nationalist backed by a scandal-mired party was sworn in as Malaysia’s premier Sunday after a reformist government’s collapse, but ex-leader Mahathir Mohamad, 94, slammed the move as illegal. The Southeast Asian nation was plunged into turmoil after Mahathir’s “Pact of Hope” alliance, which stormed to a historic victory in 2018, collapsed amid bitter infighting. Mahathir, who was the world’s oldest leader, […]
Malaysia’s next PM Muhyiddin: low-profile political insider
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — Muhyiddin Yassin, who is set to become Malaysia’s next prime minister, is a low-profile political insider and former stalwart of the establishment Muslim party that led the country for decades. As Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim engaged in a power struggle following the collapse of their two-year-old coalition, the unassuming 72-year-old emerged as an unexpected compromise candidate. He managed to outmanoeuvre them both by forming an alliance of parties dominated […]
Malaysia’s Mahathir loses PM race, scandal-plagued party returns
by Sam Reeves / M. Jegathesan Agence France Presse KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — Malaysia’s Mahathir Mohamad lost a power struggle Saturday with a little-known ex-interior minister to be the country’s new leader in a shock twist that will return a scandal-plagued party to power. Muhyiddin Yassin’s surprise victory not only sidelines Mahathir, who had been the world’s oldest premier at 94, but also dashes the hopes of Anwar Ibrahim of becoming leader any […]
Malaysia in turmoil as Mahathir, Anwar vie for power
by M. Jegathesan / Patrick Lee Agence France Presse KUALA Lumpur, Malaysia (AFP) — Malaysia was plunged into a bitter power struggle Wednesday as Mahathir Mohamad sought to form a unity government following his shock resignation, but old foe Anwar Ibrahim also pushed to become premier. The developments deepened a crisis that began when the ruling coalition — which included both men when it stormed to a historic poll victory in 2018 — fell […]
Mahathir proposes Malaysia unity govt after resignation
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — Malaysia’s Mahathir Mohamad on Wednesday proposed forming a unity government in his first public comments since his shock resignation as prime minister plunged the country into turmoil. Political factions have been jockeying for position after a bloc of ruling coalition lawmakers and opposition parties attempted to form a new government and stop the rise of Mahathir’s designated successor Anwar Ibrahim. There were also reports that lawmakers from the collapsed “Pact […]
94-year old Malaysian PM Mahathir again hints he could stay on beyond 2020
DOHA, Qatar (AFP) — Malaysia’s 94-year-old Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad again raised the prospect on Saturday that he could stay in office beyond 2020, declining to give a definitive pledge to step down. Mahathir returned to power last year after dealing a historic election defeat to the corruption-plagued coalition that he once led and which had been in power for six decades. Mahathir led Malaysia for more than two decades before his retirement in […]
Mahathir says escalating US-China trade war not good for the world
(Eagle News) – Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said that the escalating US-China trade war is affecting other nations, as he urged more dialogue between the two superpowers. Mahathir was the keynote speaker in the opening of the 25th Future of Asia conference in Tokyo on Thursday, May 30, which is sponsored by Nikkei. The 93-year old Southeast Asian leader said that the US-China trade war is creating instability and uncertainty in the world. […]
Malaysia criticized for failures on rights reforms
PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AFP) — Malaysia’s government faced criticism Thursday for failing to repeal repressive laws and backtracking on promises to improve human rights a year after sweeping to power with a reformist agenda. A ramshackle coalition headed by veteran politician Mahathir Mohamad stormed to a shock election victory on May 9 last year, toppling a corruption-plagued regime that had led the country since independence from Britain in 1957. The Pact of Hope alliance had […]
President Duterte, Malaysian PM Mahathir back freedom of navigation, overflight in South China Sea
(Eagle News) — Both Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and President Duterte, the two oldest heads of state in Asia, called for maintaining freedom of navigation in the disputed South China Sea, as well as the peaceful settlement of disputes in the region. During their joint statement Thursday, March 7, after their closed door bilateral meeting, President Duterte said he and Mahathir agreed on the importance of “freedom of navigation and overflight” in the […]





