Palace: Mahathir Mohamad’s victory augurs well for PHL-Malaysia ties

The Philippine government on Friday welcomed Mahathir Mohamad’s stunning return to Malaysia’s top political leadership, saying it bodes well for the relationship between the two countries.

Mohamad was sworn in as prime minister on Thursday, a day after his alliance of opposition parties won big in the polls and ended the six-decade grip on power of the Barisan Nasional coalition of then-Prime Minister Najib Razak, his one-time protégé.

“We wish to congratulate Mahathir Mohamad on his return as Prime Minister of Malaysia,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.

“Prime Minister Mahathir is an old friend of the Philippines and his fresh mandate augurs well for the deep relations between the Philippines and Malaysia.”

Roque also hailed Malaysia as a “brother nation and dependable partner of the Philippines,” citing its “constructive role towards the attainment of peace and stability in Mindanao.”

Malaysia played as third party facilitator in the government's peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front which culminated with the signing of an agreement that became the basis for the crafting of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law being pushed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

“We are thus confident that the strong partnership between our countries would continue to be enhanced in the years to come,” Roque said.

At 92, Mahathir became the world’s oldest head of government. He previously ruled Malaysia for 22 years from 1981 to 2003.

Mahathir came out of retirement to take on Najib with the opposition coalition exploiting public disenchantment over the cost of living and a multi-billion-dollar corruption scandal that has dogged Najib since 2015. —LBG, GMA News