4-8-2023 (KUALA LUMPUR) Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad was released from a specialist heart hospital on Friday (Aug 4) following a four-day stint of medical examinations, as disclosed by an AFP source.
The 98-year-old statesman, who has served as Malaysia’s Prime Minister twice, accumulating a total of 24 years in office, was admitted to the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday for observation, according to an anonymous aide close to him.
Confirming his discharge, the same aide stated on Friday, “Yes, Mahathir has been discharged from the hospital,” without providing further elaboration.
A different official in proximity to Mahathir had stated on Thursday that the former leader was “undergoing treatment for an infection.”
Mahathir has faced several heart-related health issues in recent years, including at least two heart attacks and having undergone multiple bypass surgeries.
The seasoned politician had also spent several days in the hospital in December 2021 and January 2022 for medical check-ups.
Having helmed Malaysia from 1981 to 2003, Mahathir made a surprising comeback to power in 2018 at the remarkable age of 92, leading a reformist coalition.
However, the administration faced internal conflicts, leading to its collapse in 2020.
Despite losing in the 2022 general election, Mahathir joined forces with ethnic Malay political parties in a bid to overthrow the current government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
