Mahathir Mohamad was Prime Minister before most Malaysians were born. He is running again in the upcoming parliamentary elections – and could even become prime minister again at the age of 97.
The nearly 100-year-old filed his application on Saturday for early parliamentary elections on November 19. Dozens of supporters cheered him on as he walked to the registration office in Kuah on Langkawi Island. He has “a good chance” of winning, he said, laughing at the idea of retiring.
Already in the Guinness Book of Records
When he took office for the second time as prime minister in 2018, Mahathir entered the Guinness Book of Records as the “oldest sitting prime minister in the world”. He resigned in early 2020 due to a power struggle with his former confidant Anwar Ibrahim.
With the November 19 elections almost a year early, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s Umno party is looking to expand the narrow parliamentary majority of the Barislan National coalition it leads.
Former Prime Minister in custody
Former party and government leader Najib Razak began serving a 12-year prison term in August for his role in the 1MDB financial scandal. Before the bribery allegations, Umno had been in government for 60 years. In the course of the corruption scandal, she was temporarily voted out in 2018.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
