Malaysia's former PM Mahathir discharged from hospital

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad was discharged from hospital on Monday, his aide said, after the 99-year-old had been admitted earlier this month because of coughing due to a lower respiratory infection.

Mahathir Mohamad has been dubbed the world’s oldest serving leader after helming office twice, first holding the position as the Southeast Asian country’s fourth national leader from 1981 until 2003.

Mahathir, who served as prime minister for more than two decades, has a history of heart problems and has been in and out of hospital several times in recent years.

Because of his admission to the National Heart Institute on Oct. 15, Mahathir had been unable to attend a court hearing on a defamation case he had filed against the country’s deputy prime minister.

Mahathir will attend the court proceedings on Tuesday, his aide said.

He spent nearly three months in hospital during another stay earlier this year.

Mahathir Mohamad led Malaysia from 1981 until 2003 and again in 2018 at the age of 92, but his coalition collapsed two years later due to infighting.

Mahathir Mohamad lost his parliamentary seat in a shock defeat in 2022 but continues to be active in politics and has emerged as a leading critic of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.