Mahathir won't contest in next GE – report

After his stunning rise and fall following the last general election, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad reportedly said he would not be contesting in the next polls.

However, this does not mean the 95-year-old would be retiring from politics, as he will still be fighting corruption from his new party Pejuang.

"I want to stay a bit longer but I thought I will serve for a short period.

"But I will not be contesting in the 15th election,” he reportedly told Kyodo News in an interview at this office in Putrajaya.

As for whether his party will support opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim as the latter claimed to have secured majority control of Parliament, Mahathir pointed out that he had reached out to Anwar before.

"We had already proposed working with him many times. But he has rejected us. So we have to think very carefully as to whether we should support him or not," he was quoted as saying.

He added that Anwar must also go to Parliament and prove he has majority control of the Dewan Rakyat.

Anwar had announced on Tuesday that he has secured a convincing majority in Parliament.

However, he has been unable to seek an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong thus far as the King has been hospitalised.

It is still unclear who has joined Anwar to seize control of the government, but following his announcement, BN and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi indicated “many” in his coalition have voiced support for Anwar.

DAP had initially said it would support Anwar if he does indeed have a majority in Parliament, but later said the party will never work with an Umno that is under Zahid or his predecessor Najib Abdul Razak.