Malaysia’s 97-year-old former PM Mahathir Mohamad seeks re-election in his seat

Mahathir has offered to become prime minister for a third time, as campaigning in Malaysia's general election gets under way

Mahathir Mohamad, the 97-year-old elder statesman of Malaysian politics, filed his candidacy on Saturday as campaigning for the upcoming general elections began.

The prime minister, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, called for elections 10 months ahead of schedule, hoping to win a stronger mandate for his party and stabilise the rocky political landscape that has plagued the country over the past four years.