KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s nearly 100-year-old former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been discharged from hospital, his office said Tuesday, almost two weeks after he was admitted for a respiratory infection.

“Mahathir was officially discharged from the hospital yesterday (Monday),“ his office told AFP, adding “he will be working at the office as usual”.

ALSO READ: Tun M unwell, defamation suit hearing against Ahmad Zahid postponed to Oct 29

Mahathir turned 99 in July, but just days after his birthday was hospitalised for “continuous coughing”.

He spent nearly three months in hospital during another stay earlier this year.

Furthermore, the hearing of the defamation suit filed by Mahathir against Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is scheduled to take place today after its initial postponement on October 16 due to his lung infection.

ALSO READ: Tun M admitted to IJN over coughing issues

Mahathir is testifying as a witness in his defamation suit against Zahid’s remarks in 2017 alleging the former’s real name was Mahathir a/l Iskandar Kutty.

On July 20, 2022, Dr Mahathir filed the suit and named Zahid, who is the Umno president, as the defendant.

Dr Mahathir stated that he genuinely believes that Zahid’s reference in the alleged defamatory statement to “that person”, “he” and “Mahathir, the son of Iskandar Kutty”, explicitly referred to him.