LANGKAWI: Mahathir Mohamad, the nearly 100-year-old elder statesman of Malaysian politics, filed his candidacy on Saturday in what is likely to be his final race, as campaigning for upcoming general elections began.
Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob called for elections 10 months ahead of schedule, with the graft-tainted ruling party of jailed ex-leader Najib Razak seeking to cement its political comeback four years after it was dramatically voted out.
A Guinness World Record holder for being the "world's oldest current prime minister" when he became premier for a second time in 2018, the 97-year-old Mahathir will stand again to defend his parliamentary seat in the holiday island of Langkawi in the November 19 vote.
Visibly slowed by age but still looking healthy, Mahathir was greeted by dozens of supporters waving flags of his Homeland Fighters' Party as he arrived at a local government office in Kuah, the island's main town, to register his candidacy.
Mahathir told reporters that he stood a "good chance" of winning and laughed off suggestions he should retire.
"I'm still standing around and talking to you, I think making reasonable answers," he said.
He added his party would not form any alliances with parties that are led by "crooks or jailbirds", an apparent reference to the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).
Ismail, of the UMNO, and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, of the Pakatan Harapan coalition, have also filed their candidacies elsewhere in the country.
Anwar urged voters to come out in big numbers, as fears circulated that torrential rain during the monsoon season could dampen turnout.
"I am optimistic we will win," he told reporters from his constituency in the northern Perak state.
Meanwhile, in Sabah, in Malaysia's part of Borneo Island, police fired tear gas to disperse scores of supporters of a minor opposition party who attempted to force their way into a nomination centre in the interior town of Tenom after their leader's candidacy was rejected.
Hazani Ghazali, the internal security police chief, was quoted by The Star news portal as saying that tear gas was fired to disperse the crowd, with no injuries reported.
Serious violence is rare during general elections in Malaysia. -- AFP
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