- As he was sworn in, fireworks lit up in the night sky across Kuala Lumpur as people celebrated.
In a huge political upset, former strongman Mahathir’s opposition alliance broke the grip on power of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which had governed Malaysia uninterrupted since its birth as an independent country in 1957.
It capped a dramatic political comeback for Mahathir, who previously ruled the country with an iron fist for 22 years and came out of retirement to take on Prime Minister Najib Razak after the leader became embroiled in a massive corruption scandal.
In a ceremony at the national palace steeped in centuries-old Muslim Malay tradition, Mahathir was officially sworn in as prime minister by King Sultan Muhammad V.
Mahathir, dressed in traditional Malay dress, took the oath of office in a elaborately decorated room, with political allies and senior government officials in attendance.
“I, Mahathir Mohamad, after being elected as prime minister, swear to carry out my task with all my ability, and that I will be loyal to Malaysia and preserve and defend the constitution,” he said.
As he was sworn in, fireworks lit up in the night sky across Kuala Lumpur as people celebrated.
Earlier, Mahathir and his wife Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali were driven into the palace past hundreds of well-wishers waving flags and chanting the national anthem.
Mohamad Azlan Shah, a member of Mahathir’s party in the crowd, said he was “very proud”.
“Our struggle to change Malaysian politics is not wasted. We believe Mahathir can make a change,” he told reporters.
One of the most remarkable aspects of Mahathir’s comeback has been his reconciliation with jailed opposition icon Anwar Ibrahim, his former nemesis. Their relationship has loomed large over the Malaysian political landscape for decades.
Anwar was Mahathir’s heir-apparent until the premier sacked him in 1998 over political differences, and he was subsequently jailed on charges of sodomy and abuse of power.
Anwar was jailed again during Najib’s rule but is due out in June — and Mahathir has pledged to help him get a royal pardon, allowing him to run for political office again and potentially become prime minister.
As it became clear that BN was facing a historic wipeout, Najib disappeared for hours and only surfaced Thursday morning to tell a press conference that he accepted the people’s will, although he stopped short of conceding defeat.
His comments were slammed by one analyst as “unstatesmanlike”.
The opposition’s shock victory triggered euphoria and a sense of relief that a leader who was accused of massive graft and fanning racial tensions in the multi-ethnic country was finally on his way out.
“We have been waiting for so long for this to happen,” Larson Michael, 35, a voter from just outside Kuala Lumpur, said. “(Mahathir) has come back to help us regain the country. Now we want to see if he will fulfil... his promises.”
The initial delight at the opposition victory will likely give way to some apprehension. Mahathir was also accused of being an authoritarian leader, and political opponents were thrown in jail during his time in office.
The opposition faced an uphill battle at the poll due to what critics said were no-holds-barred attempts by Najib to hang on to power.
His government was accused of gerrymandering while activists said he hurled cash and gifts at voters and there was a litany of problems with the electoral roll, including dead people appearing on the list.
Defeated Najib goes quietly, sunk by scandal
In the end, Najib Razak gave up without a fuss, the first prime minister of Malaysia ever to lose a general election.
After a bruising campaign in which he traded barbs and insults with his former mentor, Mahathir Mohamad, Najib’s Barisan Nasional coalition was trounced in Wednesday’s poll.
“Of course there will be a change,” the 64-year-old said while conceding defeat at a news conference on Thursday, his voice catching with emotion. “My friends and I are fortunate to have led the country this far.”
Najib is the son of Malaysia’s second prime minister and a nephew of the third. He himself was the sixth leader of the Southeast Asian nation since it gained independence from Britain six decades ago.
An England-trained economist with a penchant for well-tailored suits and pocket squares, Najib may however be remembered most for a multi-billion-dollar scandal at Malaysia’s state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad.
News broke in 2015 that about $700 million allegedly stolen from 1MDB had made its way into his personal bank accounts. He has denied any wrongdoing and has been cleared by Malaysia’s attorney-general even as US authorities allege that over $4.5 billion was stolen from the fund in a fraud orchestrated by a financier known to be close to Najib and his family.
US Attorney-General Jeff Sessions called the 1MDB scandal “kleptocracy at its worst” and the fund is the subject of money-laundering investigations in at least six countries, including Switzerland, Singapore and the United States.
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