Showing posts with label Malaysia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Malaysia. Show all posts
EFCC Arraigns Alleged Fraudster who Duped Malaysian in Love Scam
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Kaduna Zonal Command has arraigned one Alyassau Muhammad before Justice Hannatu A.L Balogun on a two count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence.
Alayssau was arrested following intelligence on his alleged fraudulent activities on the internet. He allegedly posed as a female Malaysian to induce one Nor Rahem to send money in tranches of foreign currencies into his nominated account 154110205463 in Maybank with account name Hafizan Hamid, on the pretext that they were in a romantic relationship
Investigation reveals that the defendant had three different active Malaysian WhatsApp numbers in his phones which were also linked to a telegram group dominated by Malaysians. It was in the group that he scouts for would-be victims.
Count one of the charge reads, “That you, Alyassau Muhammad, (M) between May and August, 2021 in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the total sum of RM 16, 300.00 (Sixteen Thousand Three Hundred Malaysian Rinngit) only from one Nor Rahem Mohd Jani when you falsely presented yourself as one Lady Aisha ( a Muslim White Lady) and claimed to be in love with him, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act”.
He pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charges. In view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, M.E Eimonye urged the Court to fix a date for the commencement of trial. But the defence counsel, Abdulhakeem Audu moved an application for the bail of his client.
Justice Balogun granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N2 million and two sureties in like sum. One of the sureties must be a civil servant in Kaduna State with a valid means of identification, while the other must have a landed property in Kaduna
The case was adjourned till September 29, 2021 for hearing.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Kaduna Zonal Command has arraigned one Alyassau Muhammad before Justice Hannatu A.L Balogun on a two count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence.
Alayssau was arrested following intelligence on his alleged fraudulent activities on the internet. He allegedly posed as a female Malaysian to induce one Nor Rahem to send money in tranches of foreign currencies into his nominated account 154110205463 in Maybank with account name Hafizan Hamid, on the pretext that they were in a romantic relationship
Investigation reveals that the defendant had three different active Malaysian WhatsApp numbers in his phones which were also linked to a telegram group dominated by Malaysians. It was in the group that he scouts for would-be victims.
Count one of the charge reads, “That you, Alyassau Muhammad, (M) between May and August, 2021 in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the total sum of RM 16, 300.00 (Sixteen Thousand Three Hundred Malaysian Rinngit) only from one Nor Rahem Mohd Jani when you falsely presented yourself as one Lady Aisha ( a Muslim White Lady) and claimed to be in love with him, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act”.
He pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charges. In view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, M.E Eimonye urged the Court to fix a date for the commencement of trial. But the defence counsel, Abdulhakeem Audu moved an application for the bail of his client.
Justice Balogun granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N2 million and two sureties in like sum. One of the sureties must be a civil servant in Kaduna State with a valid means of identification, while the other must have a landed property in Kaduna
The case was adjourned till September 29, 2021 for hearing.
END BAD LEADERSHIP: A LETTER FROM THE GRAVE
CONSIDER THE CONTENTS OF THIS LETTER AND THINK WISELY.
*A LETTER FROM THE GRAVE*
A MUST READ !
_The story of LEE KUAN YEW (Ex Prime Minister of Singapore for 31 years)
His OPEN LETTER TO MALAYSIAN LEADERS_
Dear *Malaysian* leaders, I want to appreciate your condolence messages to Singaporeans since my death on Sunday, March 22. Having died at the age of *91,* I would not say I died young.
In fact, life expectancy in Singapore, which I led as prime minister for 31 years, is 80 years for men and 85 for women. You may even say I spent an overtime of 11 years. I would say I lived a good life which I devoted to the progress of my country.
I can confidently say that everything I did — including that for which I was heavily criticised for being *“highhanded”* — was for the benefit of my people, not for my personal gain. I died a fulfilled man with no regrets whatsoever.
May I briefly tell you the story of Singapore so that you can understand why it is often told with admiration all over the world. We were a small, hopeless Island.
We thought we were so poor it was impossible to survive on our own. We decided to go into a union with other countries to form Malaysia in 1963.
But because of ethnic riots, we were expelled from the union in 1965, and I broke down in tears because I did not see how we were going to survive as a country. It was so bad we had no potable water. We relied on other countries for water to drink!
 |
| LEE KUAN YEW |
We had no natural resources. No oil, no gold, no solid minerals, nothing. All we had were human beings — and ports.
Dear *Malaysian* leaders, we did not give up. We decided to pick the pieces of our lives. We resolved to turn our fortune around.
Today, our story has changed completely. So you know, we are no longer a *Third World country.*
We are one of the *four Asian Tigers* — so-called because of our incredible development story.
*Singapore is the only Asian country with the top AAA rating by all credit rating agencies. We are the fourth largest financial centre in the world. We have one of the five busiest ports in the world.*
Manufacturing accounts for around 30% of our GDP. And Singapore has the third highest per capita income in the world.
Permit me some more immodesty. Unlike Malaysia, we don’t have a single drop of crude oil on our land.
But also unlike Malaysia, we are one of the biggest exporters, not importers, of petroleum products.
Our country is in the top three of oil-refining centres in the world, yet we don’t have oil! We have some of the biggest refineries in the world.
Meanwhile, Malaysia, with all the oil you produce, has been importing petrol, diesel, kerosene, engine oil and other petroleum products for decades!
Let me shock you: *we are the largest oil-rig producers in the world! The World Bank ranks us as the easiest place to do business in the world. I’m blushing, even in death!*
Let me explain how we attained these feats. We are no magicians. We are no angels.
We are human beings like you, dear Malaysian leaders.
The first thing we recognised is that *quality leadership is non-negotiable!*
I understand that ordinary Malaysians get all the blame for Malaysia’s problems under the pretext that if the followers are bad, then leaders will be bad.
I disagree.
*{THE LANGUAGE OF MAD MALAYSIAN - IMBECILE}*
If the leaders are good, the followers will be good.
The leaders take the critical decisions and show direction. *That is why they are called leaders.*
It is the dog that should be wagging the tail, not the tail wagging the dog.
Don’t blame passengers for bad driving. Countries are transformed by good leadership.
Why does a country need competent and exemplary leaders? Development starts from visioning.
No country develops by accident or co-incidence. Development is planned.
The leader, who must understand the critical issues, puts together a team, shares his vision with them, assigns them responsibilities and leads them from the front.
That is where it starts. It is when you have a vision of society that you will know that *education is key, electricity is key, health is key, infrastructure is non-negotiable.* It is when you have this vision that you know where to direct your energy and resources. You know the kind of people to put in charge of key ministries and agencies.
Furthermore, leaders must *not be obsessed with instant gratification and personal comfort.* That is one of the biggest problems you, Malaysian leaders, have.
*_You are too obsessed with the perks of office that you have forgotten why you were elected in the first instance._*
I understand that aside the presidential jets in town, you are more comfortable with chartered jets. What a waste. I will share a story with you, which you can read in my book, *From Third World to First.*
The story is on *pages 363-364* and it had to do my trip to Ottawa, Canada, for the Commonwealth meeting in 1973.
The Bangladeshi Prime Minister, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, arrived in style in his own aircraft.
When I landed, I saw a parked Boeing 707 with “Bangladesh” emblazoned on it. When I left, it was still standing on the same spot, idle for eight days, getting obsolescent without earning anything.
As I left the hotel for the airport, two huge vans were being loaded with packages for the Bangladeshi aircraft. At the conference, Mujibur Rahman had made a pitch for aid to his country.
Any public relations firm would have advised him not to leave his special aircraft standing for eight whole days on the parking apron. You want aid but you are showing opulence to the world.
Presidents of Kenya and Nigeria also arrived in jets. I wondered why they did not set out to impress the world that they were poor and in dire need of assistance.
Our permanent representative at the UN explained that the poorer the country, the bigger the Cadillacs they hired for their leaders.
So I made a virtue of arriving by ordinary commercial aircraft and thus helped preserve Singapore’s Third World status for many years.
However, by the mid-1990s, the World Bank refused to heed our pleas not to reclassify us as a *“High Income Developing Country”* — giving no Brownie points for my frugal travel habits. We lost all the concessions that were given to developing countries.
_*Dear Malaysian leaders, I understand that you are very, very religious.*_
*_The Muslims among you pray five times day, go for hajj so often, fast during Ramadan and mention the name of Allah as punctuation for every word and every sentence. The Christians among you are always speaking in tongues or eating communion, paying fat tithes and heavy offerings and holding prayer sessions at home every morning._*
*_Yet, I am told you loot your state treasury without compassion or compunction, inflate contracts recklessly, operate killer squads, and watch — without conscience — as your citizens struggle without clean water and good hospitals._*
Unfortunately, I died an agnostic. I neither denied nor accepted that there was a God.
Though two of my younger brothers, Freddy Lee and Lee Suan Yew, are members of the Anglican and Methodist churches respectively, I was not a churchgoer. Don’t misunderstand me: I am not saying you should not believe in God.
But I only wonder: how can you say you believe in God and fail so woefully in what the Holy Bible and Holy Qu’ran teach about loving your neighbour, caring for the needy and showing responsibility as a leader? I cannot understand it.
You guys never cease to amaze with how you can conveniently combine religion with greed.
On a final note, I appreciate that you are mourning my death and describing me as great. Thank you very much.
But I want you to know that you too can become great by putting the welfare of your citizens above your personal comfort.
MALAYSIA too can produce a *Lee Kuan Yew.* I go to my grave a happy man. Ask yourself: will you go to yours fulfilled? *Adieu!*
*End Bad Leadership*_
Pls, forward to as many friends as possible. Hoping that it will get to the right places.
*Copied*
CONSIDER THE CONTENTS OF THIS LETTER AND THINK WISELY.
*A LETTER FROM THE GRAVE*
A MUST READ !
_The story of LEE KUAN YEW (Ex Prime Minister of Singapore for 31 years)
His OPEN LETTER TO MALAYSIAN LEADERS_
Dear *Malaysian* leaders, I want to appreciate your condolence messages to Singaporeans since my death on Sunday, March 22. Having died at the age of *91,* I would not say I died young.
In fact, life expectancy in Singapore, which I led as prime minister for 31 years, is 80 years for men and 85 for women. You may even say I spent an overtime of 11 years. I would say I lived a good life which I devoted to the progress of my country.
I can confidently say that everything I did — including that for which I was heavily criticised for being *“highhanded”* — was for the benefit of my people, not for my personal gain. I died a fulfilled man with no regrets whatsoever.
May I briefly tell you the story of Singapore so that you can understand why it is often told with admiration all over the world. We were a small, hopeless Island.
We thought we were so poor it was impossible to survive on our own. We decided to go into a union with other countries to form Malaysia in 1963.
But because of ethnic riots, we were expelled from the union in 1965, and I broke down in tears because I did not see how we were going to survive as a country. It was so bad we had no potable water. We relied on other countries for water to drink!
|
| LEE KUAN YEW |
We had no natural resources. No oil, no gold, no solid minerals, nothing. All we had were human beings — and ports.
Dear *Malaysian* leaders, we did not give up. We decided to pick the pieces of our lives. We resolved to turn our fortune around.
Today, our story has changed completely. So you know, we are no longer a *Third World country.*
We are one of the *four Asian Tigers* — so-called because of our incredible development story.
*Singapore is the only Asian country with the top AAA rating by all credit rating agencies. We are the fourth largest financial centre in the world. We have one of the five busiest ports in the world.*
Manufacturing accounts for around 30% of our GDP. And Singapore has the third highest per capita income in the world.
Permit me some more immodesty. Unlike Malaysia, we don’t have a single drop of crude oil on our land.
But also unlike Malaysia, we are one of the biggest exporters, not importers, of petroleum products.
Our country is in the top three of oil-refining centres in the world, yet we don’t have oil! We have some of the biggest refineries in the world.
Meanwhile, Malaysia, with all the oil you produce, has been importing petrol, diesel, kerosene, engine oil and other petroleum products for decades!
Let me shock you: *we are the largest oil-rig producers in the world! The World Bank ranks us as the easiest place to do business in the world. I’m blushing, even in death!*
Let me explain how we attained these feats. We are no magicians. We are no angels.
We are human beings like you, dear Malaysian leaders.
The first thing we recognised is that *quality leadership is non-negotiable!*
I understand that ordinary Malaysians get all the blame for Malaysia’s problems under the pretext that if the followers are bad, then leaders will be bad.
I disagree.
*{THE LANGUAGE OF MAD MALAYSIAN - IMBECILE}*
If the leaders are good, the followers will be good.
The leaders take the critical decisions and show direction. *That is why they are called leaders.*
It is the dog that should be wagging the tail, not the tail wagging the dog.
Don’t blame passengers for bad driving. Countries are transformed by good leadership.
Why does a country need competent and exemplary leaders? Development starts from visioning.
No country develops by accident or co-incidence. Development is planned.
The leader, who must understand the critical issues, puts together a team, shares his vision with them, assigns them responsibilities and leads them from the front.
That is where it starts. It is when you have a vision of society that you will know that *education is key, electricity is key, health is key, infrastructure is non-negotiable.* It is when you have this vision that you know where to direct your energy and resources. You know the kind of people to put in charge of key ministries and agencies.
Furthermore, leaders must *not be obsessed with instant gratification and personal comfort.* That is one of the biggest problems you, Malaysian leaders, have.
*_You are too obsessed with the perks of office that you have forgotten why you were elected in the first instance._*
I understand that aside the presidential jets in town, you are more comfortable with chartered jets. What a waste. I will share a story with you, which you can read in my book, *From Third World to First.*
The story is on *pages 363-364* and it had to do my trip to Ottawa, Canada, for the Commonwealth meeting in 1973.
The Bangladeshi Prime Minister, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, arrived in style in his own aircraft.
When I landed, I saw a parked Boeing 707 with “Bangladesh” emblazoned on it. When I left, it was still standing on the same spot, idle for eight days, getting obsolescent without earning anything.
As I left the hotel for the airport, two huge vans were being loaded with packages for the Bangladeshi aircraft. At the conference, Mujibur Rahman had made a pitch for aid to his country.
Any public relations firm would have advised him not to leave his special aircraft standing for eight whole days on the parking apron. You want aid but you are showing opulence to the world.
Presidents of Kenya and Nigeria also arrived in jets. I wondered why they did not set out to impress the world that they were poor and in dire need of assistance.
Our permanent representative at the UN explained that the poorer the country, the bigger the Cadillacs they hired for their leaders.
So I made a virtue of arriving by ordinary commercial aircraft and thus helped preserve Singapore’s Third World status for many years.
However, by the mid-1990s, the World Bank refused to heed our pleas not to reclassify us as a *“High Income Developing Country”* — giving no Brownie points for my frugal travel habits. We lost all the concessions that were given to developing countries.
_*Dear Malaysian leaders, I understand that you are very, very religious.*_
*_The Muslims among you pray five times day, go for hajj so often, fast during Ramadan and mention the name of Allah as punctuation for every word and every sentence. The Christians among you are always speaking in tongues or eating communion, paying fat tithes and heavy offerings and holding prayer sessions at home every morning._*
*_Yet, I am told you loot your state treasury without compassion or compunction, inflate contracts recklessly, operate killer squads, and watch — without conscience — as your citizens struggle without clean water and good hospitals._*
Unfortunately, I died an agnostic. I neither denied nor accepted that there was a God.
Though two of my younger brothers, Freddy Lee and Lee Suan Yew, are members of the Anglican and Methodist churches respectively, I was not a churchgoer. Don’t misunderstand me: I am not saying you should not believe in God.
But I only wonder: how can you say you believe in God and fail so woefully in what the Holy Bible and Holy Qu’ran teach about loving your neighbour, caring for the needy and showing responsibility as a leader? I cannot understand it.
You guys never cease to amaze with how you can conveniently combine religion with greed.
On a final note, I appreciate that you are mourning my death and describing me as great. Thank you very much.
But I want you to know that you too can become great by putting the welfare of your citizens above your personal comfort.
MALAYSIA too can produce a *Lee Kuan Yew.* I go to my grave a happy man. Ask yourself: will you go to yours fulfilled? *Adieu!*
*End Bad Leadership*_
Pls, forward to as many friends as possible. Hoping that it will get to the right places.
*Copied*
US sends 2 aircraft carriers to South China Sea in show of force towards Beijing
The U. S. has concluded plans to send two aircraft carriers to the South China Sea to conduct exercises near a site where China is carrying out naval exercises, Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, The aim of this step is “to send a clear message to China that the United States is not satisfied with the military escalation of Beijing in the region,” referring to the group’s commander. The newspaper pointed out that the aircraft carriers USS Ronald Reagan and USS Nimitz are ready to hold unprecedented maneuvers in the South China Sea as of Saturday.
China had last week announced a five-day training exercise from July 1 near the Paracel Islands, which both Vietnam and China claim sovereignty over.
On Friday, China rejected the U.S. Defense Department’s criticism of its plan to conduct military exercises in the South China Sea, noting that Washington is responsible for increasing tension in the region.
Countries bordering the South China Sea, specifically China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei, have been fighting for sovereignty over parts of it for several centuries, but tensions in the region have escalated recently.
The Chinese and Americans continue trading accusations that the other side is “militarizing” the South China Sea.
Sources: WSJ
The U. S. has concluded plans to send two aircraft carriers to the South China Sea to conduct exercises near a site where China is carrying out naval exercises, Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, The aim of this step is “to send a clear message to China that the United States is not satisfied with the military escalation of Beijing in the region,” referring to the group’s commander. The newspaper pointed out that the aircraft carriers USS Ronald Reagan and USS Nimitz are ready to hold unprecedented maneuvers in the South China Sea as of Saturday.
China had last week announced a five-day training exercise from July 1 near the Paracel Islands, which both Vietnam and China claim sovereignty over.
On Friday, China rejected the U.S. Defense Department’s criticism of its plan to conduct military exercises in the South China Sea, noting that Washington is responsible for increasing tension in the region.
Countries bordering the South China Sea, specifically China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei, have been fighting for sovereignty over parts of it for several centuries, but tensions in the region have escalated recently.
The Chinese and Americans continue trading accusations that the other side is “militarizing” the South China Sea.
Sources: WSJ
Malaysia coronavirus cases reach 5,532, over 3000 recovered - foreign minister
 |
| Malysian foreign minister in a virutal meeting with his ASEAN counterpart (Aljazeera) |
"The morbidity rate was at 1.6 percent." "Just one month ago on 26 March, we were faced with a peak of 235 new cases recorded in a single day, the highest Malaysia has ever experienced," the minister told ASEAN leaders.
Today, I am proud that we have recorded only double-digit new cases for 5 days in a row," Hishammuddin said.
"I admit, these numbers look promising, but a full victory goes beyond just focusing on the statistics," he added.
The Malaysian foreign minister went on to brief his counterparts about measures the country was taking, on the political, economic and social front to combat COVID-19.
"I admit, these numbers look promising, but a full victory goes beyond just focusing on the statistics," he added.
The Malaysian foreign minister went on to brief his counterparts about measures the country was taking, on the political, economic and social front to combat COVID-19.
|
| Malysian foreign minister in a virutal meeting with his ASEAN counterpart (Aljazeera) |
"The morbidity rate was at 1.6 percent." "Just one month ago on 26 March, we were faced with a peak of 235 new cases recorded in a single day, the highest Malaysia has ever experienced," the minister told ASEAN leaders.
Today, I am proud that we have recorded only double-digit new cases for 5 days in a row," Hishammuddin said.
"I admit, these numbers look promising, but a full victory goes beyond just focusing on the statistics," he added.
The Malaysian foreign minister went on to brief his counterparts about measures the country was taking, on the political, economic and social front to combat COVID-19.
"I admit, these numbers look promising, but a full victory goes beyond just focusing on the statistics," he added.
The Malaysian foreign minister went on to brief his counterparts about measures the country was taking, on the political, economic and social front to combat COVID-19.
Malaysia's Mahathir proposes unity government in first comments since quitting as PM
Malaysia's Anwar says group of MPs back him to become PM
Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - Malaysia was plunged into a bitter power struggle Wednesday as Mahathir Mohamad sought to form a unity government following his shock resignation, but old foe Anwar Ibrahim also pushed to become premier.
The developments deepened a crisis that began when the ruling coalition -- which included both men when it stormed to a historic poll victory in 2018 -- fell apart after a failed bid to establish a new government without Anwar.
Anwar was Mahathir's designated successor, but he would likely have been pushed out and blocked from becoming leader if the weekend bid had succeeded.
Their notoriously stormy relationship has shaped Malaysian politics ever since Mahathir -- during a first stint in office in the 1990s -- sacked Anwar as his deputy, and he was jailed on dubious sodomy and corruption charges.
They reconciled ahead of the 2018 polls to oust a corruption-plagued coalition led by Najib Razak, but many were sceptical Mahathir -- at 94, the world's oldest leader -- would stick to a vow to hand power to Anwar.
Mahathir quit Monday as premier but it remains unclear whether he had a hand in the plot to topple the government, although analysts suspect he at least gave it his blessing. He has been named interim leader and initially appeared to have strong support to remain as premier.
But backing fell away early Wednesday and rumours swirled Anwar had garnered enough support from MPs for the top job, fuelling expectations that Mahathir might finally cede power.
The elderly leader, however, announced in a televised address to the nation that he wished to establish a unity government, and was willing to return as premier.
"Party politics must be put aside for now," said Mahathir. "If allowed, I will try to form an inclusive government, not siding with any political parties."
"If I still have the support I will return. If not I will accept whoever is chosen," he added.
- Jockeying for support -
Moments later at a press conference at his party headquarters, Anwar said he had received backing from three parties in the "Pact of Hope" coalition -- the grouping in power until Mahathir quit -- to become premier.
Anwar, 72, said the coalition had invited Mahathir to a meeting on Tuesday evening aimed at reviving the coalition, but after he failed to show they decided to put him forward as their candidate.
"Since the attempt to topple the government last week we have remained steadfast in defending the mandate of the Malaysian people," he said.
After reading a statement, he added: "We leave it to the palace to decide".
Officially the king appoints the prime minister, and he has been interviewing all the country's MPs since Monday to work out who they support.
A candidate must have the backing of at least 112 MPs -- but it was not clear whether Anwar or Mahathir would achieve that, and there are likely to be days of political horse-trading ahead.
Reports say that Mahathir had already proposed a unity government to leaders across the political spectrum Tuesday, but they rejected the idea.
James Chin, a Malaysia expert from the University of Tasmania, said he believed Mahathir, who had a first stint as premier from 1981 to 2003, would likely prevail in the power struggle.
"The best thing is to hold a general election, but both sides don't want it -- they are afraid people will punish them," he added.
The victory of the "Pact of Hope" alliance in 2018 was initially greeted with euphoria as it ended the six-decade rule of the notoriously corrupt Barisan Nasional coalition and prime minister Najib.
Najib was accused of involvement in stealing billions of dollars from state fund 1MDB, and is now on trial.
But the alliance's popularity quickly fell amid bitter infighting over who would succeed Mahathir, and it faced accusations of failing to protect the rights of the multi-ethnic country's Muslim majority.
Malaysia's Anwar says group of MPs back him to become PM
Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - Malaysia was plunged into a bitter power struggle Wednesday as Mahathir Mohamad sought to form a unity government following his shock resignation, but old foe Anwar Ibrahim also pushed to become premier.
The developments deepened a crisis that began when the ruling coalition -- which included both men when it stormed to a historic poll victory in 2018 -- fell apart after a failed bid to establish a new government without Anwar.
Anwar was Mahathir's designated successor, but he would likely have been pushed out and blocked from becoming leader if the weekend bid had succeeded.
Their notoriously stormy relationship has shaped Malaysian politics ever since Mahathir -- during a first stint in office in the 1990s -- sacked Anwar as his deputy, and he was jailed on dubious sodomy and corruption charges.
They reconciled ahead of the 2018 polls to oust a corruption-plagued coalition led by Najib Razak, but many were sceptical Mahathir -- at 94, the world's oldest leader -- would stick to a vow to hand power to Anwar.
Mahathir quit Monday as premier but it remains unclear whether he had a hand in the plot to topple the government, although analysts suspect he at least gave it his blessing. He has been named interim leader and initially appeared to have strong support to remain as premier.
But backing fell away early Wednesday and rumours swirled Anwar had garnered enough support from MPs for the top job, fuelling expectations that Mahathir might finally cede power.
The elderly leader, however, announced in a televised address to the nation that he wished to establish a unity government, and was willing to return as premier.
"Party politics must be put aside for now," said Mahathir. "If allowed, I will try to form an inclusive government, not siding with any political parties."
"If I still have the support I will return. If not I will accept whoever is chosen," he added.
- Jockeying for support -
Moments later at a press conference at his party headquarters, Anwar said he had received backing from three parties in the "Pact of Hope" coalition -- the grouping in power until Mahathir quit -- to become premier.
Anwar, 72, said the coalition had invited Mahathir to a meeting on Tuesday evening aimed at reviving the coalition, but after he failed to show they decided to put him forward as their candidate.
"Since the attempt to topple the government last week we have remained steadfast in defending the mandate of the Malaysian people," he said.
After reading a statement, he added: "We leave it to the palace to decide".
Officially the king appoints the prime minister, and he has been interviewing all the country's MPs since Monday to work out who they support.
A candidate must have the backing of at least 112 MPs -- but it was not clear whether Anwar or Mahathir would achieve that, and there are likely to be days of political horse-trading ahead.
Reports say that Mahathir had already proposed a unity government to leaders across the political spectrum Tuesday, but they rejected the idea.
James Chin, a Malaysia expert from the University of Tasmania, said he believed Mahathir, who had a first stint as premier from 1981 to 2003, would likely prevail in the power struggle.
"The best thing is to hold a general election, but both sides don't want it -- they are afraid people will punish them," he added.
The victory of the "Pact of Hope" alliance in 2018 was initially greeted with euphoria as it ended the six-decade rule of the notoriously corrupt Barisan Nasional coalition and prime minister Najib.
Najib was accused of involvement in stealing billions of dollars from state fund 1MDB, and is now on trial.
But the alliance's popularity quickly fell amid bitter infighting over who would succeed Mahathir, and it faced accusations of failing to protect the rights of the multi-ethnic country's Muslim majority.
Malaysia PM Mahathir submits resignation to king
His party, Bersatu, has also quit the ruling coalition, its president, Malaysian home minister Muhyiddin Yassin said on Facebook.
Mahathir, 94, assumed office in May 2018 for his second stint as prime minister.
Mahathir, 94, assumed office in May 2018 for his second stint as prime minister.
The aging politician once referred to himself as a 'proud anti-Semite' and has regularly clashed - by proxy - with Israel
A spokesman from the prime minister’s office declined to comment, saying only that a statement will be issued soon.
The sources declined to be named as they were not authorized to talk to the media.
Mohamad announced his resignation on Monday paving the way for a possible formation of a new government.
Mahathir said in a two-line statement that he has informed the country's king of his resignation at 1pm Kuala Lumpur time (0500 GMT).
A spokesman from the prime minister’s office declined to comment, saying only that a statement will be issued soon.
The sources declined to be named as they were not authorized to talk to the media.
Mohamad announced his resignation on Monday paving the way for a possible formation of a new government.
Mahathir said in a two-line statement that he has informed the country's king of his resignation at 1pm Kuala Lumpur time (0500 GMT).
Growing fears about a spreading coronavirus had spooked investors, driving Kuala Lumpur's benchmark to a 10-year low, while the ringgit currency slid 0.7% to an almost six-month low, its sharpest drop in over three years.
Reuters also reported that Mahathir's party, Pribumi Bersatu, has quit the ruling government coalition, Pakatan Harapan.
Mahathir's decision follows a weekend of political wrangling, after it was reported on Sunday night that his party was planning to form a new government that would exclude his anointed successor, Anwar Ibrahim.
The tussle between old rivals Mahathir, 94, and Anwar, 72, is the latest chapter in the long-running political saga between two of the country's most prominent political figures.
Anwar and Mahathir united ahead of the 2018 election to drive out the UMNO-dominated Barisan Nasional coalition that had ruled the Southeast Asian country for six decades, in a surprise victory that led to the ouster of then-Prime Minister Najib Razak.
But tension between the two in their Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) coalition had been growing, as Mahathir resisted setting a specific timetable for keeping his promise to hand power to Anwar.
The coalition's political fortunes have been waning with defeat in five recent by-elections.
Anwar also had a split with party mate, Mohamed Azmin Ali, the econonic affairs minister, who was among those who joined the meeting on Sunday night.
Anwar was Mahathir's deputy when the latter was prime minister during his first stint from 1981 to 2003. But Mahathir sacked him in 1998 after they disagreed on how to handle the financial crisis.
Soon afterwards, Anwar was jailed for sodomy, charges he says were trumped up.
Reuters also reported that Mahathir's party, Pribumi Bersatu, has quit the ruling government coalition, Pakatan Harapan.
Mahathir's decision follows a weekend of political wrangling, after it was reported on Sunday night that his party was planning to form a new government that would exclude his anointed successor, Anwar Ibrahim.
The tussle between old rivals Mahathir, 94, and Anwar, 72, is the latest chapter in the long-running political saga between two of the country's most prominent political figures.
Anwar and Mahathir united ahead of the 2018 election to drive out the UMNO-dominated Barisan Nasional coalition that had ruled the Southeast Asian country for six decades, in a surprise victory that led to the ouster of then-Prime Minister Najib Razak.
But tension between the two in their Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) coalition had been growing, as Mahathir resisted setting a specific timetable for keeping his promise to hand power to Anwar.
The coalition's political fortunes have been waning with defeat in five recent by-elections.
Anwar also had a split with party mate, Mohamed Azmin Ali, the econonic affairs minister, who was among those who joined the meeting on Sunday night.
Anwar was Mahathir's deputy when the latter was prime minister during his first stint from 1981 to 2003. But Mahathir sacked him in 1998 after they disagreed on how to handle the financial crisis.
Soon afterwards, Anwar was jailed for sodomy, charges he says were trumped up.
His party, Bersatu, has also quit the ruling coalition, its president, Malaysian home minister Muhyiddin Yassin said on Facebook.
Mahathir, 94, assumed office in May 2018 for his second stint as prime minister.
Mahathir, 94, assumed office in May 2018 for his second stint as prime minister.
The aging politician once referred to himself as a 'proud anti-Semite' and has regularly clashed - by proxy - with Israel
A spokesman from the prime minister’s office declined to comment, saying only that a statement will be issued soon.
The sources declined to be named as they were not authorized to talk to the media.
Mohamad announced his resignation on Monday paving the way for a possible formation of a new government.
Mahathir said in a two-line statement that he has informed the country's king of his resignation at 1pm Kuala Lumpur time (0500 GMT).
A spokesman from the prime minister’s office declined to comment, saying only that a statement will be issued soon.
The sources declined to be named as they were not authorized to talk to the media.
Mohamad announced his resignation on Monday paving the way for a possible formation of a new government.
Mahathir said in a two-line statement that he has informed the country's king of his resignation at 1pm Kuala Lumpur time (0500 GMT).
Growing fears about a spreading coronavirus had spooked investors, driving Kuala Lumpur's benchmark to a 10-year low, while the ringgit currency slid 0.7% to an almost six-month low, its sharpest drop in over three years.
Reuters also reported that Mahathir's party, Pribumi Bersatu, has quit the ruling government coalition, Pakatan Harapan.
Mahathir's decision follows a weekend of political wrangling, after it was reported on Sunday night that his party was planning to form a new government that would exclude his anointed successor, Anwar Ibrahim.
The tussle between old rivals Mahathir, 94, and Anwar, 72, is the latest chapter in the long-running political saga between two of the country's most prominent political figures.
Anwar and Mahathir united ahead of the 2018 election to drive out the UMNO-dominated Barisan Nasional coalition that had ruled the Southeast Asian country for six decades, in a surprise victory that led to the ouster of then-Prime Minister Najib Razak.
But tension between the two in their Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) coalition had been growing, as Mahathir resisted setting a specific timetable for keeping his promise to hand power to Anwar.
The coalition's political fortunes have been waning with defeat in five recent by-elections.
Anwar also had a split with party mate, Mohamed Azmin Ali, the econonic affairs minister, who was among those who joined the meeting on Sunday night.
Anwar was Mahathir's deputy when the latter was prime minister during his first stint from 1981 to 2003. But Mahathir sacked him in 1998 after they disagreed on how to handle the financial crisis.
Soon afterwards, Anwar was jailed for sodomy, charges he says were trumped up.
Reuters also reported that Mahathir's party, Pribumi Bersatu, has quit the ruling government coalition, Pakatan Harapan.
Mahathir's decision follows a weekend of political wrangling, after it was reported on Sunday night that his party was planning to form a new government that would exclude his anointed successor, Anwar Ibrahim.
The tussle between old rivals Mahathir, 94, and Anwar, 72, is the latest chapter in the long-running political saga between two of the country's most prominent political figures.
Anwar and Mahathir united ahead of the 2018 election to drive out the UMNO-dominated Barisan Nasional coalition that had ruled the Southeast Asian country for six decades, in a surprise victory that led to the ouster of then-Prime Minister Najib Razak.
But tension between the two in their Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) coalition had been growing, as Mahathir resisted setting a specific timetable for keeping his promise to hand power to Anwar.
The coalition's political fortunes have been waning with defeat in five recent by-elections.
Anwar also had a split with party mate, Mohamed Azmin Ali, the econonic affairs minister, who was among those who joined the meeting on Sunday night.
Anwar was Mahathir's deputy when the latter was prime minister during his first stint from 1981 to 2003. But Mahathir sacked him in 1998 after they disagreed on how to handle the financial crisis.
Soon afterwards, Anwar was jailed for sodomy, charges he says were trumped up.
Covid-19: Malaysia confirms 19th case
Commune in Vietnam under lockdown after increase in virus cases
The 39-year-old woman arrived in Malaysia with four other people from Wuhan on January 25, and is the daughter of the 16th coronavirus victim, and friend of the 14th victim, local media reported.
The online newspaper VN Express cited a senior official of Vinh Phuc province as reporting an increase in cases in Son Loi commune.
Vietnam has confirmed 16 case of the diseases, most of them in the Vinh Phuc province.
Commune in Vietnam under lockdown after increase in virus cases
The 39-year-old woman arrived in Malaysia with four other people from Wuhan on January 25, and is the daughter of the 16th coronavirus victim, and friend of the 14th victim, local media reported.
The online newspaper VN Express cited a senior official of Vinh Phuc province as reporting an increase in cases in Son Loi commune.
Vietnam has confirmed 16 case of the diseases, most of them in the Vinh Phuc province.
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