Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad is showing signs of improvement while receiving treatment at the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur, the New Strait Times reported.

His aide, Adam Mukhriz Mohd Muhayeddin, confirmed that Mahathir is still under medical supervision after being admitted on Tuesday afternoon due to a lower respiratory tract infection.

“Alhamdulillah, Tun is getting better, but he still requires monitoring,” Mukhriz stated in a brief comment to Bernama, the Malaysian news agency.

In related news, a hearing for Mahathir’s defamation suit against Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, which was set to continue at the High Court yesterday, has been postponed to October 29 due to the former prime minister’s hospitalisation for a lung infection.

Mahathir’s lawyer, Mior Nor Haidir Suhaimi, informed the court that the former prime minister has been issued medical leave until October 25, requesting that the hearings scheduled for yesterday and today be canceled.

Judicial Commissioner Gan Techiong agreed, rescheduling the trial for October 29 and 30, as well as December 5, 6, and 9.

At 99 years old, Mahathir, who served as Malaysia’s prime minister for over two decades, has a history of heart issues and has undergone multiple bypass surgeries. He has frequently been hospitalised in recent years, with his last admission occurring in July.

He is noted as the world’s oldest serving leader, having held office twice. He was Malaysia’s fourth prime minister from 1981 to 2003 and returned to power at the age of 92 from 2018 to 2020 after leading the opposition coalition to a historic victory.

He faced defeat in the 2022 general election.