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Mahathir Mohamad in Putrajaya. The nonagenarian, who has a history of heart problems, has been in and out of hospital several times in the last few years, suffered several heart attacks and underwent bypass surgery. Photo: Bloomberg

Malaysia’s former PM Mahathir discharged from hospital after infection

  • Mahathir, 98, went into the National Heart Institute on January 26 due to an unspecified infection and has remained in hospital since for observation
  • Mahathir has a history of heart problems and has been in and out of hospital several times in the last few years
Malaysia
Malaysia’s former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad was discharged from hospital on Monday, nearly three months after he was admitted for an infection, his office said on Monday.

The 98-year-old former premier went into the National Heart Institute on January 26 due to an unspecified infection and has remained in hospital since for observation.

The nonagenarian, who has a history of heart problems, has been in and out of hospital several times in the last few years, suffered several heart attacks and underwent bypass surgery. He was also admitted to hospital in December 2021, January 2022 and August last year for medical checks.

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“Mahathir had been discharged from the National Heart Institute today,” his office said in a short statement. It did not provide further details.

“Mahathir will be resting at home for a while,” an aide told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Mahathir’s office shared photos of him reading newspapers and writing notes when his prolonged admission sparked concerns.

He thanked Malaysians for their prayers and well wishes in a brief message last Monday ahead of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Mahathir reads a newspaper as he is hospitalised for an infection at the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur on February 20. Photo: Reuters
Mahathir first led Malaysia from 1981 to 2003 and then came out of retirement to lead a reformist coalition that toppled the scandal-tainted rule of Najib Razak in 2018.

He became prime minister again that year at the age of 92, but his coalition collapsed two years later due to infighting.

Mahathir 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.
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