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Malaysia's Mahathir Mohamad to become world's oldest elected leader

10 May 2018 08:38 am - 25     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Mahathir Mohamad will become the world's oldest elected leader, after a shock victory in Malaysia's election.

The former PM, 92, came out of retirement and switched to the opposition to challenge his former protege Najib Razak, who has been beset by corruption allegations.

His historic win has ousted the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which has been in power since independence in 1957.

Mr Mahathir said his coalition would "restore the rule of law".

Mr Najib has not yet commented on his dramatic loss.

Official results showed the opposition Pakatan Harapan - the Alliance of Hope - had secured 113 of the 222 being contested, including some which have never before been taken by the opposition. BN took 79 seats.

Announcing his victory in Kuala Lumpur, Mr Mahathir said his coalition had secured "not just a few votes, not just a few seats, but a very substantial majority".

He said he hoped a swearing-in ceremony would be held on Thursday and announced - to cheers among his supporters - that there would be a two-day holiday.

"But there will be no holidays for the winners."

Opposition supporters - most of whom have only ever lived under one government - poured on to the streets overnight in celebration.

"I feel that with this change we probably can see something better in the future," Suva Selvan, a 48-year-old doctor, told AFP.

"Our hope for the future is a better government, fair, free and united." 

Mr Mahathir was prime minister, at the head of the BN coalition, for 22 years, from 1981 until he stepped down in 2003.

Under his leadership, Malaysia became one of the Asian tigers - the group of countries which saw their economies expand rapidly in the 1990s. But he was an authoritarian figure who used controversial security laws to lock up his political opponents.

Most infamously his deputy prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, was sacked and accused of corruption and sodomy - and later jailed on the latter charge - when he called for economic and political reforms in 1998.

Mr Mahathir was also a mentor to Najib Razak who went on to become prime minister in 2008, but has faced almost constant allegations of corruption.

He has been accused of pocketing some $700m from the 1Malaysian Development Berhad, a state investment fund he set up.

He has vehemently denied all allegations and been cleared by Malaysian authorities but the fund is still being investigated by several countries. Mr Najib has been accused of stifling Malaysian investigations by removing key officials from their post. (BBC)

 


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  Comments - 25

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  • Congrats Thursday, 10 May 2018 09:47 AM

    congratulations

    Scooby Doo Thursday, 10 May 2018 09:47 AM

    Happy news for those old pumpkins in our parliament!

    Refaideen Thursday, 10 May 2018 09:51 AM

    Soon we’ll be beating this with our MR as elected leader.

    Gamaya Thursday, 10 May 2018 11:22 AM

    No chance in hell for MR....

    malij Thursday, 10 May 2018 10:24 AM

    The article itself is a tribute to a leader who never robbed his people but made Malaysia to be one of the most dynamic economies in Asia. We also desperately need a Mahathir and definitely not a Najib.

    Sanka Thursday, 10 May 2018 02:05 PM

    Dynamic Leader? He has given all the privillages and rights to Bhumiputra people and marginalized the minorities. That caused many Chinese and Indian educated people to migrate to Singapore, Australia, USA and UK. Untill now, Malaysia is suffering with that mistake. The country is corrupted, bribery is very common. Also Check the wealth of Mahatir. ;-)

    Jehan Thursday, 10 May 2018 03:32 PM

    @sanka well said Sanka. MM build malaysia but he has his share of corruption allegations. Our people are so slavish that they will condemn any Sri Lankan leader but idiolize any foreign leader without knowing anything

    Ja Thursday, 10 May 2018 03:40 PM

    @Sanka: the comment says dynamic economy

    Bomb Thursday, 10 May 2018 05:30 PM

    @Jehan: Some of our people are so foolish they think our set of leaders are the best in the world. May be that's one reason why we are lagging behind all the other countries in Asia.

    TONY Thursday, 10 May 2018 10:09 PM

    @bomb. YOU GOT TO RECOGNIZE AND GIVE DUE CREDIT T0 THOSE WHO DESERVE IT. WE DO HAVE A SELECTED FEW OF THE OLD REGIME. NONE OF THE CURRENT POLITICIANS DESERVE ANY PRAISE

    ANTON Thursday, 10 May 2018 10:28 AM

    AMMATA UDU......... SOMETIMES OUR DEE MOO ALSO MIGHT APPLY FOR THE NEXT PRESIDENCY....... BUT REMEMBER THIS MALAYSIAN LEADERS GOLDEN PROMISE ......... "RESTORE THE RULE OF LAW"

    Unchikun Thursday, 10 May 2018 10:28 AM

    Same old wine in a old bottle.

    malij Thursday, 10 May 2018 10:39 AM

    Sad. We never had politicians of the caliber of a Lee Kwan Yu or a Mahathir Mohommed.

    LANKAN Thursday, 10 May 2018 10:47 AM

    in Asia anything possible with overflowing intelligent voters.

    patriot Thursday, 10 May 2018 10:54 AM

    Vow! 92, still strong. Congratulations.

    Dee Thursday, 10 May 2018 11:12 AM

    Congratulations Malaysia. The world is rejecting corruption and nepotism. But sad that some of our idiots on FB trying to compare Mr. M.M. to our king Alibaba. It's an insult to Mr. M.M.

    Titanic Thursday, 10 May 2018 11:37 AM

    Bentara ganga hen eha hitiya Ali baba da ?

    Narendra Gunatillake Thursday, 10 May 2018 11:27 AM

    All the best to Dr. Mahathir and his team. Congratulations !

    2020 Thursday, 10 May 2018 12:09 PM

    Quote " .....and switched to the opposition to challenge"Sometime, our incumbent PM might join JO to contest for the next Presidential election in 2020.

    Karu Thursday, 10 May 2018 12:10 PM

    Old may be gold for Malaysians. In Sri Lanka old or young all are oppoprtunistic ..........

    alex Thursday, 10 May 2018 02:32 PM

    some one here is going to be encouraged by this

    sanka Thursday, 10 May 2018 04:51 PM

    People who are praising MM must check, what happened to Upali Wijewardena's business empire in Malaysia? Who owns it now? That's one of the examples to see, how he build the dynamic Economy. He has forced academics to conduct university lectures in Malay language only. Even the medicine and other science subjects which used many Latin and English words. Minority students who have high marks have to wait, until the Bhumiputra students to enroll to Universities with lower marks and then only consider to give the placement. Is Sri Lanka having such a system ? So is it worth to praise such a system and a leader?

    Mahesh Thursday, 10 May 2018 06:13 PM

    Well said. You need to be tough and be prepared to bend the system when in needed to develop an under developed country. But when a Sri Lankan leader does the same they will condemn it.

    sara Thursday, 10 May 2018 09:12 PM

    HE WILL ALSO BE THE OLDEST PRESIDENT WHO WILL DIE WHILE IN POWER!

    saliya Friday, 11 May 2018 11:22 AM

    that will not happen, as the plan is to repalce MM with Anwar Ibrahim when he is released in July


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