SINGAPORE ¨C Mahathir Mohamad may be at least temporarily out of power, but the 94-year-old leader isn¡¯t going down without a fight.
Mahathir¡¯s abrupt resignation last Monday kicked off a week of horse-trading that saw his fortunes rise and fall by the hour. On Saturday morning, he said he had the numbers to form a government, but by late afternoon the king appointed Muhyiddin Yassin ¡ª until recently Mahathir¡¯s right-hand man ¡ª as prime minister.
Late Saturday night, Mahathir said he has secured the backing of 114 lawmakers ¡ª enough for a majority in Malaysia¡¯s 222-member parliament ¡ª and will send a letter to tell the king. It remained unclear if the king would reconsider his decision.
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