Malaysia’s 97-year-old former PM Mahathir Mohamad seeks re-election in his seat

Mahathir has offered to become prime minister for a third time, as campaigning in Malaysia’s general election gets under way

Mahathir Mohamad, the 97-year-old elder statesman of Malaysian politics, filed his candidacy on Saturday as campaigning for the upcoming general elections began.

The prime minister, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, called for elections 10 months ahead of schedule, hoping to win a stronger mandate for his party and stabilise the rocky political landscape that has plagued the country over the past four years.

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Mahathir Mohamad: 97-year-old Malaysian former leader to run for parliament

Despite his age and a health scare this year, Mahathir will defend his parliamentary seat in upcoming elections

Malaysia’s 97-year-old former leader Mahathir Mohamad has announced 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 on Tuesday.

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Mahathir Mohamad says his remarks after French attack were taken out of context

Two-time Malaysian PM criticises Twitter and Facebook for removing his posts after the attack on Nice church

The former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has stood by his widely condemned comments on attacks by Muslim extremists in France, saying they were taken out of context. He also criticised Twitter and Facebook for removing his posts.

Mahathir, 95, sparked widespread anger when he wrote on his blog on Thursday that “Muslims have a right to be angry and kill millions of French people for the massacres of the past”.

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Has Malaysia’s new PM inherited a poisoned chalice?

Muhyiddin Yassin faces big challenges – and some say he may be bad news for minorities

When Malaysia’s government plunged into chaos last month, some believed the country’s veteran leader Mahathir Mohamad was likely to emerge an even more powerful political force. Instead, it was Muhyiddin Yassin, a much quieter figure, who was eventually appointed prime minister.

Muhyiddin, a conservative Malay nationalist, is a low-profile and cautious politician, say analysts.

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Muhyiddin Yassin named as Malaysian prime minister

Appointment follows week of turmoil after collapse of Mahathir Mohamad government

Malaysia’s 94-year-old former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has lost a power struggle with an ex-interior minister in a shock twist that will return a scandal-plagued party to power.

Muhyiddin Yassin will be sworn as PM in on Sunday, royal officials said, after a week of turmoil that followed the collapse of a reformist government and Mahathir’s resignation as premier.

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Malaysia’s political turmoil: everything you need to know

Prime minister Mahathir Mohamad’s resignation sets rival parties against each other and could result in a snap election

The country’s ruling alliance collapsed on Monday after the prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, the world’s oldest leader, shocked the nation by announcing that he would be stepping down. The king accepted his resignation but asked for him to stay on as interim leader. The country is now in limbo as rival parties rush to strike deals and form a government.

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Malaysia rejects Goldman Sachs offer of $2bn damages over 1MDB scandal

Mahathir Mohamad says amount is insufficient but a better offer might lead Malaysia to drop its demand for US$7.5bn

Malaysia has rejected an offer from Goldman Sachs of less than US$2bn in compensation over the 1MDB scandal, in contrast to the country’s publicly stated demand of US$7.5bn.

Malaysia has charged Goldman and 17 current and former directors of its units for allegedly misleading investors over bond sales totalling US$6.5bn that the US bank helped raise for the sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

“Goldman Sachs has offered something like less than $2bn,” the Malaysian prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, told the Financial Times on Friday. “We are not satisfied with that amount so we are still talking to them … If they respond reasonably we might not insist on getting that $7.5bn.”

Related: US strikes deal with fugitive Jho Low to recoup almost $1bn stolen from 1MDB

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