Malaysia’s Mahathir Expects to Stay in Power for a Year or Two

New prime minister won’t cut a deal with Najib to retrieve funds

In an exclusive interview at the WSJ CEO Council in Tokyo, newly elected Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad revealed he plans to remain in power for "one or two years" rather than hand the reins to longtime opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad plans to remain in power for one or two years after his historic election win last week, and he said he expects criminal charges will be filed against former leader Najib Razak following an investigation into allegations that he siphoned off hundreds of millions of dollars from a state investment fund.

In his first formal interview since the May 9 election, Mr. Mahathir said he wouldn’t offer Mr. Najib freedom in an effort to reclaim the missing funds.

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