The 97-year-old Malaysian politician lost his parliamentary seat in Saturday’s general election.
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has lost his parliamentary seat in Saturday’s election, potentially ending the career of one of Asia’s most enduring politicians.
Mahathir came fourth in five long-term battles on the holiday island of Langkawi, the country’s election commission said on Saturday.
“It’s amazing that he’s not the only one [Mahathir] he’s lost, but he’s incredibly lost,” said Al Jazeera’s Florence Looi, from outside Kuala Lumpur.
“He didn’t just lose his seat but he lost his ticket because he didn’t get more than eight votes. His party was not able to get one seat.”
It was the 97-year-old’s first election defeat in more than half a century. He was the Prime Minister of Malaysia for 22 years from 1981 to 2003.
He returned to politics two years ago in the wake of the multi-billion dollar scandal over the 1MDB state fund. Mahathir held the Guinness World Record for being the “oldest prime minister in the world” when he became prime minister in 2018, just two months before he turned 93.
‘Magicians or Prisoners’
Seemingly slowed by old age but still looking healthy, Mahathir this time ran under his Homeland Fighters’ Party and laughed off suggestions he might quit, telling reporters before the election that he had a good chance of winning.
“If I am still standing and talking to you, I think, I am giving a reasonable answer,” Mahathir said.
He added that his party would not form any alliance with parties led by “corrupt or jailbirds” – a claim made by the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the party of former Prime Minister Najib Razak.
Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s Barisan Nasional coalition – led by his own party UMNO – missed out on an alliance led by former Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.
The corruption-tainted Barisan Nasional coalition, which ruled Malaysia since independence from Britain until 2018, could return to power based on post-election deals.
Mahathir has been criticized for ruling Southeast Asia with an iron fist from 1981 to 2003, but he is also praised for helping to transform the country from a slumber to one that sells modern goods.
His long leadership provided political stability, and he earned the title “Father of Modern Malaysia” as he oversaw the construction of highways and industrial parks in the 1980s and 1990s.
Mahathir’s reformist Pakatan Harapan coalition won a stunning victory over UMNO and Najib, who was later convicted of corruption and is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence.
Mahathir became prime minister again, but his government fell within two years due to conflict.
He has warned that Najib will be released as a political ally in UMNO if he wins.
He also offered to become Prime Minister for a third time, but observers said he had no chance from the start.
His major conflicts with opposition leader Anwar, his divisive successor, have dominated and shaped Malaysian politics for the past two decades.
In the end, age was his greatest enemy.
“Mahathir’s time has passed,” University of Nottingham Malaysia’s Bridget Welsh told AFP earlier this month ahead of the election.
