Even though he’s 97, one of the world’s most seasoned politicians in Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad is running for parliament in the general election.
Mr Mahathir Mohamad became prime minister of Malaysia again in 2018 at the age of 92. He has previously held that position twice, making him one of the world’s oldest leaders.
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He has been in hospital this year with a heart condition, but says he is fit enough to defend his seat. He has not said whether he will be prime minister if his alliance wins.
“We have not decided who will be prime minister because the prime minister candidate is only relevant if we win,” Mr Mahathir told a news conference.
The creation of the fund was initiated by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and was meant to boost the economy.
The money has since been diverted and misappropriated, with a US Department of Justice probe alleging that up to $4 billion was laundered through US financial institutions.
In shutting down parliament on Monday, Mr Najib hoped that it would “get rid” of infighting and corruption that has plagued his government for years.
In 1964, Mr Mahathir first became a member of parliament and is widely credited for Malaysia’s rapid economic development and transformation from the 1980s.
In a bid to take down former prime minister Najib Razak – who had been alleged of embezzling hundreds of millions of dollars in state funds, he came out of retirement in 2018.
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Mr Najib was charged and eventually jailed on charges of money laundering and abuse of power after Mr Mahathir was voted in again as the country’s prime minister with the help of former rival Anwar Ibrahim.
But the alliance proved unable to withstand the weight of internal rivalries, and in February 2020 Mr Mahathir found himself ousted.
The 97-year-old has a history of heart trouble, and has had heart attacks and bypass surgeries. He was discharged from hospital only last month after being admitted with Covid-19.