Malaysia Elects 92-Year-Old Mahathir Mohamad as Prime Minister: List of 10 Most Aged World Leaders
The coalition headed by Mahathir ended up winning 121 seats in the 222-member assembly. On the other hand, the incumbent ruling coalition of Barrison National was reduced to 79 seats.
Kuala Lumpur, May 10: Mahathir Mohamad staged an unprecedented victory against incumbent Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Rajak, despite pollsters putting their weight behind the latter ahead of the elections. With this shock win, Mohamed made his return as the premier of the Southeast Asian nation after a gap of 17 years. At 92 years of age, he becomes the oldest head of State in the world.
Not only is Mahathir among the 10 most aged leaders in the world, he is also listed among the only four nonagenarian constitutional heads around the globe.
Here is the list of 10 oldest serving world leaders:
| Rank | Name | Date of Birth | Current Age | Designation | Assumed office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mahathir Mohamad | 10 July 1925 | 92 years, 304 days | 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia | 2018 |
| 2 | Elizabeth II | 21 April 1926 | 92 years, 19 days | Queen of the United Kingdom and 15 other countries | 1952 |
| 3 | Beji Caid Essebsi | 29 November 1926 | 91 years, 162 days | President of Tunisia | 2014 |
| 4 | Kim Yong-nam | 4 February 1928 | 90 years, 95 days | Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea | 1998 |
| 5 | Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah | 16 June 1929 | 88 years, 328 days | Emir of Kuwait | 2006 |
| 6 | Dame Marguerite Pindling | 26 June 1932 | 85 years, 318 days | Governor-General of the Bahamas | 2014 |
| 7 | Sir Colville Young | 20 November 1932 | 85 years, 171 days | Governor-General of Belize | 1993 |
| 8 | Paul Biya | 13 February 1933 | 85 years, 86 days | President of Cameroon | 1982 |
| 9 | Akihito | 23 December 1933 | 84 years, 138 days | Emperor of Japan | 1989 |
| 10 | Michel Aoun | 18 February 1935 | 83 years, 81 days | President of Lebanon | 2016 |
Mahathir earlier served as the Malaysian head of state between 1981 to 2003. Najib Razak, who has been voted out of power, was once his accomplice.
Mahathir came out of retirement in January this year, claiming that there is "one job left for him to do in public life". In a decision which sent shockwaves across the political spectrum, the nonangerian said he would run for the Prime Minister's post in the 14th general elections.
The coalition headed by Mahathir ended up winning 121 seats in the 222-member assembly. On the other hand, the incumbent ruling coalition of Barrison National was reduced to 79 seats.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 10, 2018 09:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).