Malaysian opposition names 92-year-old as leader

It’s never too late – Malaysia’s opposition has named 92-year-old former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad as its candidate for upcoming elections.

By: AP

Malaysia’s opposition alliance has named 92-year-old former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad as its prime minister candidate for upcoming general elections to boost its chances of wrestling power from a coalition that has ruled since independence.

The announcement Sunday by the four-party Hope Alliance puts an end to squabbling over the thorny issue and is seen as a major show of unity ahead of polls that must be held by August but are widely expected in the second quarter.

Prime Minister Najib Razak has clung to power despite an epic corruption scandal that involved hundreds of millions of dollars passing through his bank accounts. Support for his ruling National Front coalition has dwindled in the last two elections. In 2013, the coalition lost the national popular vote for the first time to the opposition.

Analysts said the opposition still faces an uphill battle due to party infighting, unfavorable electoral boundary changes and strong support for the government from rural ethnic Malays.

Government leaders scorned the candidacy of Mahathir, who will be the world’s oldest leader if the opposition wins. Government minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan called his candidacy a stumbling block to the opposition’s reform agenda.

“It’s laughable for (the opposition) to appoint Mahathir as the next PM and expect him to implement those reforms,” he tweeted. “It’s a tragedy to their own cause….anyway, I thank (the opposition) for making it even easier for (the ruling coalition) to win the upcoming general election.”

Mahathir, Asia’s longest-serving leader for 22 years before stepping down in 2003, was an authoritarian who made a high-profile return to politics in a bid to oust his protégé Najib.