KUALA LUMPUR: Former Malaysia prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, 98, has been admitted to hospital again, his office said, confirming media reports after the ex-premier of more than two decades missed a court hearing on Tuesday (Feb 13).
The nonagenarian has been in and out of hospital in recent years. He has a history of heart problems and has undergone bypass surgeries.
Mahathir had been scheduled to attend a court proceeding relating to his lawsuit against Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for allegedly making defamatory statements questioning the former leader’s racial origins.
The judge postponed the hearing to Jul 19 after Mahathir’s lawyer told the court that his client had been admitted to the National Heart Institute since Jan 26.
Ahmad Zahid’s lawyer suggested that the trial begin in October, but the judge rejected the proposal and asked for earlier dates to be fixed.
“We can vacate other cases to accommodate this trial. Most probably, Tun Mahathir is one of the oldest plaintiffs in this court,” said Judicial Commissioner Gan Techiong.
