I won’t defend Langkawi seat in next polls, says Dr M

 

Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Pejuang had not identified who would succeed him, but that it would be ‘someone younger than me’.

PETALING JAYA: Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has decided not to defend the Langkawi parliamentary seat in the next general election (GE15) citing his poor health and age.

The Pejuang chairman said his recent treatment at the National Heart Institute (IJN) was one of the reasons he would not be contesting in GE15.

“I have yet to recover. I’m still weak. So, I think we should give the opportunity to someone else (to stand in Langkawi),” he told reporters in Langkawi today.

The 97-year-old said the party had not identified who would succeed him, but that it would be “someone younger than me”.

“We have yet to identify a potential candidate to contest. We are looking for someone younger than me,” he was quoted as saying by Utusan Malaysia.

Mahathir said, however, that he would still be campaigning for his party in the Johor polls and GE15.

“I might talk a little during the election campaign to help Pejuang candidates,” he said.

Mahathir was reported to have said in 2020 that he would not be contesting in GE15 as he was getting old. - FMT