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WORLD NEWS Friday 11 May 2018

Mahathir Malaysia’s leader again after ruling party booted

By EILEEN NG and STEPHEN cate repressive policies”
WRIGHT and put human rights first.
Associated Press “We need to have this gov-
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia ernment today without de-
(AP) — Malaysia’s former lay,” Mahathir, 92, said be-
authoritarian leader Maha- fore the ceremony. “There
thir Mohamad was sworn in is a lot of work to be done.
as prime minister on Thurs- You know the mess the
day, cementing a stunning country is in and we need
political comeback and a to attend to this mess as
historic change in govern- soon as possible and that
ment after leading opposi- means today.”
tion parties to their first elec- Many analysts had thought
tion victory in six decades. the National Front might
The ceremony before Ma- lose the popular vote but
laysia’s king at the official cling to a parliamentary
state palace in Kuala Lum- majority due to an elec-
pur ended a day of uncer- toral system that increases
tainty during which rumors the ballot power of rural
swirled that the National Malays, the coalition’s core
Front, Malaysia’s peren- supporters. After the result
nial ruling party, would try of the election became
to stay in power. People clear, supporters of the in-
waiting outside the palace coming government took Mahathir Mohamad, left, receives official documentation from Malaysia’s King Muhammad V,
cheered, waved opposi- to the streets to celebrate. right, as he was sworn in as Malaysia’s new prime minister at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur,
tion flags and sounded car People stood on roadsides Malaysia, Thursday, May 10, 2018.
horns. waving the white, blue and Associated Press
The election result is a po- red flag of the triumphant with modernizing Malaysia the law. Bridget Welsh, a deputy prime minister in
litical earthquake for the opposition alliance. Cars but was also known as a Southeast Asia expert at the ruling party, was also
Muslim-majority country, honked their horns as they heavy-handed leader who John Cabot University in imprisoned under Mahathir
sweeping aside the 60-year sped past. imprisoned opponents and Rome, said it was hugely following a power struggle.
rule of the National Front “I’m so happy,” said Zarini subjugated the courts. ironic that Mahathir, who On the economic front,
and its leader Najib Razak, Najibuddin while waving Angered by the graft scan- damaged Malaysia’s dem- Mahathir vowed to cancel
whose reputation was tar- the opposition flag. “I hope dal at state investment fund ocratic institutions with his a goods and service tax im-
nished by a monumen- we’ll have a better Malay- 1MDB, Mahathir emerged strong-arm rule, has re- posed since 2015 and said
tal corruption scandal, a sia now. Malaysia reborn!” from political retirement turned as its political savior. the government could also
crackdown on dissent and Ibrahim Suffian, co-founder and joined the opposition “It is not just a comeback,” renegotiate the terms of
a new sales tax that hurt his of the Merdeka Center for in an attempt to oust Najib, she said. “It is about mak- Chinese loans for infrastruc-
coalition’s poor rural sup- Opinion Research, said the his former protege. ing amends about his mis- ture projects.
porters. new government will have The U.S. Justice Department takes and moving Malay- He criticized a “fake news”
It was also a surprising ex- to contend with “enormous says $4.5 billion was looted sia forward.” Mahathir has law pushed through parlia-
ception to backsliding forces of inertia and resis- from 1MBD by associates said the new government ment by the National Front
on democratic values in tance from within the gov- of Najib between 2009 and would seek the release during the lead-up to the
Southeast Asia, a region of ernment elites.” 2014, including $700 million and full pardon of Anwar election. Mahathir is being
more than 600 million peo- “The bureaucracy and the that landed in Najib’s bank Ibrahim, an opposition icon investigated under that law
ple where governments of rest of the government ap- account and a $23 million imprisoned on sodomy for claiming a plane he was
countries including Thai- paratus has never been pink diamond necklace charges that Anwar and his to travel on was sabotaged
land, Cambodia and the used to this idea, having bought for Najib’s wife. He supporters said were fabri- during the campaign.
Philippines have swung to- been, you know, more than has denied wrongdoing. cated by the National Front Najib, 64, said he accepted
ward harsh authoritarian 60 years under the same Mahathir said the new gov- to crush the opposition. An- the “verdict of the people.”
rule. Amnesty International political party,” he said. ernment will not conduct war, whose sentence ends The National Front “will hon-
said Malaysia’s first-ever Mahathir, prime minister a witch hunt, but Najib will on June 8, should be free or the principle of democ-
change in government is for 22 years until stepping have to face the conse- to participate in politics, racy in the parliament,” he
an opportunity to “eradi- down in 2003, was credited quences if he has broken he said. Anwar, a former said.q