Malaysia's ex-PM Mahathir discharged from heart hospital

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has been discharged from the National Heart Institute two weeks after he was admitted

Malaysia Mahathir (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad was discharged Saturday from the National Heart Institute two weeks after he was admitted and will recuperate at home, the hospital said.

The 96-year-old two-time former premier, once the world’s oldest leader, was admitted to the coronary care unit on Jan. 20 for the third time in just over a month. The latest hospital stay followed an elective medical procedure at the same facility on Jan. 7. In December, he was admitted for a full medical checkup and observation.

The hospital said Mahathir will have to follow up for continuation of his medical treatment, without giving any details.

His prolonged stay at the hospital has sparked concerns over his health. But the nonagenarian said in a video message on Friday that he is recovering well.

The brief video posted on social media showed Mahathir walking into his house unassisted, reading a newspaper and having tea with his wife. Mahathir said in the video that he has been allowed to return home in the day but goes back to the hospital in the evening.

He looked frail and weaker than usual as he thanked those who had prayed for his recovery and sent him flowers and cards.

“My hope is that soon I would be able to recover fully," he added.

Mahathir has had two coronary bypass surgeries but was still robust and sharp witted. He led the opposition to a historic election victory in 2018 that ousted a corruption-tainted government in the first peaceful transfer of power since Malaysia’s independence in 1957.

Mahathir became the world’s oldest leader at 92 for a second stint but that triumph lasted only 22 months as his government collapsed due to infighting. That didn’t stop him, and Mahathir formed a new ethnic Malay party in 2020 to oppose the new leadership.