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The Star

Doctors have advised against surgery for Mahathir Mohamad’s fractured hip due to his age, according to his son, Mukhriz Mahathir.
The 100-year-old former Malaysian prime minister was admitted to the National Heart Institute (IJN) at 9.30am on Tuesday following a fall during his routine morning exercise.
Mukhriz clarified in a video posted on Wednesday that while a hip fracture was sustained, “due to his age of 100 years, an operation is not a wise option”.
Instead, Mahathir is expected to remain in hospital for two to three weeks for recovery.
His press secretary Sufi Yusoff confirmed via WhatsApp that Mahathir remained conscious throughout his transfer to the medical facility.
Over the last 24 months, Mahathir has been hospitalised on at least two occasions.
Following a picnic for his 100th birthday last July, he was admitted to IJN for fatigue; before that, he received treatment for a respiratory infection in October 2024.

These incidents add to a history of heart ailments that includes bypass surgeries performed in 1989 and 2007.
A constant fixture in the nation’s political life, Mahathir is known for his enduring and plucky demeanour. Despite having no formal party ties, he remains focused on uniting opposition groups to challenge Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
This decades-long rivalry – defined by the clash between Mahathir’s nationalism and Anwar’s reformism – has deepened the political and racial schisms in multicultural Malaysia.
As Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister, Mahathir led the nation for 22 years during his first term from 1981 to 2003, an era marked by both significant development and persistent allegations of corruption and executive overreach.
This story was first published by The Star


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Mahathir Mohamad: why surgery ‘not wise’ for 100-year-old’s fractured hip

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Malaysia’s former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and his wife Hasmah Mohamad Ali at an ice cream shop in Shah Alam, Malaysia, in June last year. 

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The former PM’s son says surgery is not advised for his father’s hip injury due to advanced age, with recovery expected to take up to three weeks


The former PM’s son says surgery is not advised for his father’s hip injury due to advanced age, with recovery expected to take up to three weeks.


Mahathir Mohamad: why surgery ‘not wise’ for 100-year-old’s fractured hip

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The former PM’s son says surgery is not advised for his father’s hip injury due to advanced age, with recovery expected to take up to three weeks

The former PM’s son says surgery is not advised for his father’s hip injury due to advanced age, with recovery expected to take up to three weeks