Malaysia's veteran ex-leader Mahathir Mohamad will run at an upcoming general election on the holiday island of Langkawi, the opposition announced Sunday, as he seeks to oust the scandal-plagued government. Mahathir has come out of retirement and joined the opposition alliance to take on his former protege, Prime Minister Najib Razak, who has become embroiled in a massive corruption controversy.
The May 9 poll will be a tough test for Najib's coalition, which has governed Malaysia for six decades. But 92-year-old Mahathir, the opposition's prime ministerial candidate, is still not expected to beat the party he led for years.
About 5,000 supporters gathered at a rally late Sunday on Langkawi, which attracts hordes of foreign tourists each year to its palm-fringed beaches, for the announcement of his candidacy.
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