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Malaysia's 97-year-old former leader Mahathir Mohamad announced Tuesday he will defend his seat in the general elections expected next month, though he wouldn't say whether he would be prime minister a third time if his political alliance wins. We have not decided who will be prime minister because the prime minister candidate is only relevant if we win, Mahathir told a news conference. Though unlikely, he would be the oldest ever candidate for the post, which has a five-year term. Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob dissolved Parliament on Monday for snap polls, caving in to pressure from his United Malays National Organization party, which is hoping for a big win on its own amid feuds with allies in the ruling coalition. The Election Commission is due to fix a date within the week for a vote, which must be held within 60 days of Parliament's dissolution. Despite his nonagenarian status and a health scare this year, Mahathir said he will defend his parliamentary seat in Langkawi ..
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, 97, was hospitalised on Wednesday after testing positive for COVID-19, his office said. Mahathir has been admitted to the National Heart Institute for observation for a few days as advised by the medical team, it said in a statement. It didn't provide further details on his condition. Mahathir, who was Malaysia's prime minister for two different periods, once was the world's oldest leader. He has had two coronary bypass surgeries but remains robust and sharp witted. He was admitted several times to the same hospital earlier this year. Mahathir later said he was hospitalised after experiencing shortness of breath due to a shortage of red blood cells. He later had a pacemaker implanted but acquired an infection during the surgery. He has said he thought he was dying at that point but somehow made a recovery. Mahathir ruled Malaysia initially for 22 years until his retirement in 2003. Spurred by anger over government corruption, he l