Kuala Lumpur, Jan 22 (AP) Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad was hospitalised for the third time in just over a month but his condition is stable, his daughter said Saturday.

The 96-year-old two-time former premier, once the world's oldest leader, was admitted to the National Heart Institute on Thursday and was responding well to treatment, Marina Mahathir said in a statement.

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“His condition is now stable,” she said, urging Malaysians to pray for his swift recovery.

Mahathir underwent an elective medical procedure at the same hospital on Jan. 7 and was discharged six days later. Last month, he was admitted for a full medical checkup and observation.

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He has had two coronary bypass surgeries but was still robust and sharp witted. He led the opposition to a historic election victory in 2018 that was hailed for ousting a corrupt government in the first peaceful transfer of power since Malaysia's independence in 1957.

Mahathir became the world's oldest leader at 92 for a second stint but that triumph lasted only 22 months as his government collapsed due to infighting.

But that didn't stop him, and Mahathir formed a new ethnic Malay party in 2020 to oppose the new leadership. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)