Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has been hospitalised for a respiratory infection, his office said on Wednesday after he missed a court hearing in a defamation case he has lodged.
Ninety-nine-year-old Mahathir, who held office for a cumulative total of 24 years, had previously had bypass surgeries for heart problems. He was last hospitalised in July.
Reuters reported citing an aide of the former prime minister that Mahathir had been hospitalised on Tuesday evening for coughing due to a lower respiratory tract infection. He would be on medical leave until October 25.
He was due in court on Wednesday for a defamation case he had filed against the current deputy prime minister, but the hearing was postponed after his lawyer informed the media about Mahathir’s latest visit to the National Health Institute over health issues.
Mahathir served as prime minister from 1981 to 2003 and later from 2018 to February 2020, but his second stint lasted for only two years due to infighting.
