Malaysia ex-PM Mahathir, 100, in hospital for fatigue, office says

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Malaysian former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has been admitted to hospital for fatigue, his office said on Sunday, after media reported he had left a picnic celebration for his 100th birthday early.

Mahathir, leader of the Southeast Asian nation for more than two decades, has a history of heart problems and has undergone bypass surgeries. He has been hospitalized repeatedly in recent years, most recently in October for a respiratory infection.

He is under observation at the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur for fatigue-related issues, his office said. "He is resting, but we expect him to be back home by this evening," it said in a statement.

A physician who was a member of parliament until 2022, Mahathir drove himself on Sunday to the celebration, which also marked the 99th birthday of his wife, Hasmah Mohd Ali, a day earlier, local media reported. The reports said he cycled for an hour before appearing tired. His birthday was on Thursday.