Mahathir Mohamad was sworn in as Malaysian prime minister on Thursday after sealing a historic general election victory that ended the six-decade rule of the governing coalition he once headed.
Mr Mahathir, 92, became the world’s oldest elected leader after trouncing outgoing prime minister Najib Razak, his one-time protégé who had been widely accused of corruption, in a sensational political comeback.
Speaking after taking the oath of office the state palace in Kuala Lumpur, Mr Mahathir pledged to boost the economy, stabilise the currency, cut the nation’s debt and return billions of dollars plundered from 1MDB, the sovereign wealth fund.