Malaysia’s Mahathir in hospital for observation a day after wife’s death

Malaysia's long-serving former Prime Minister, 101-year-old Mahathir Mohamad, has been admitted to the hospital for observation, his office announced on Wednesday. The news follows his wife's sudden death at the same institution just a day prior. It remains unclear as to why the elderly leader was admitted, with his aide Sufi Yusuff stating that doctors are awaiting a diagnosis.

Health concerns have been a recurring theme for Mahathir, who has experienced multiple hospitalizations in recent years. In January, he was hospitalized for three weeks due to a broken hip, effectively putting him in a wheelchair as his doctors deemed surgery too risky given his age. Just months earlier, he was admitted to the heart institute for fatigue following his 100th birthday celebrations.

In October 2024, he spent two weeks in the hospital after contracting a lung infection. Mahathir's health troubles are well-documented, with two bypass surgeries performed in 1989 and 2007. The former premier has made a resurgence in the news this week as tributes pour in from Malaysians and regional leaders following the unexpected passing of his wife.

Mahathir made a brief video expressing his shock at her death, seen sharing his disbelief when speaking with Pahang ruler Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah. Known as a staunch Malay nationalist, Mahathir spearheaded Malaysia's transformation from an agrarian economy into a regional industrial powerhouse during his first term as Prime Minister from 1981 to 2003.

He is credited with averting a major debt crisis by refusing an International Monetary Fund bailout in the late 1990s, instead choosing to peg the currency to the US dollar to stabilize the economy. However, Mahathir was also notorious for his intolerance towards dissent. During his early years in office, over 100 opposition politicians, activists, and journalists were detained under a controversial operation targeting critics of his administration.

Malaysia's international standing was further marred by his role in imprisoning former Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on corruption and sodomy charges after a falling out between the two in the latter years of Mahathir's tenure.