KUALA LUMPUR: Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has been hospitalized due to a respiratory infection, his office announced on Wednesday, following reports that he missed a court hearing in a defamation case he initiated.
The 99-year-old Mahathir, who served as prime minister for more than two decades, has a history of heart issues and has undergone multiple bypass surgeries. He has frequently been hospitalized in recent years, with his last stay occurring in July.
Mahathir was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday for a defamation case against the current deputy prime minister, but local media reported that the hearing was postponed after his lawyer informed the court of his hospitalization.
An aide told Reuters that Mahathir was admitted on Tuesday evening for coughing related to a lower respiratory tract infection and will be on medical leave until October 25.
Mahathir served as prime minister for 22 years until 2003 and made a comeback in 2018, leading the opposition coalition to a historic victory, but his government fell apart in under two years due to internal crisis.
