New Delhi:
Mahathir Mohamad was elected as the seventh prime minister of Malaysia on Thursday. The shock victory comes over the coalition that has ruled the Southeast Asian nation for six decades since independence from Britain.
“There is an urgency here, we need to form the government now, today,” Mahathir told reporters.
Here are some interesting facts about Mahathir Mohamad:
1. Mahathir ruled Malaysia from 1981 to 2003 and now, with a second innings at the age of 92, is set to become the oldest elected leader in the world.
2. His alliance of four parties crushed the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition of Prime Minister Najib Razak, who was once Mahathir’s apprentice but became his most bitter rival.
3. Mahathir and Najib were once close friends but they clashed over a scam around 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state fund from which billions of dollars were allegedly taken off.
4. Mahathir Mohamad is 21 years older than President Donald Trump and twice the age of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
5. He is also the 1st Malaysian to be prime minister twice after historic poll win
6. Mahathir Mohamad breaks the record of India's Morarji Desai, who became PM at 81 in 1977 & served till 1979.
7. He sacked, accused and later jailed his deputy PM Anwar Ibrahim for corruption and sodomy.
