KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was listed among Time magazine’s 100 most influential people this year, following the victory of Pakatan Harapan (PH) on May 9 last year.

In the profile written by Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown, she described him as a “formidable old warhorse” who had dazzled during the gruelling election campaign.

“You don’t have to be young to fight the power,” Rewcastle-Brown wrote, pointing at Dr Mahathir’s crusade against Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.

“Venting moral outrage, the colloquially called Dr M swept back to power in a landslide election victory in May 2018 at age 92.”

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She wrote that the PH chairman’s reliance on core values had united various groups, while at the same time inspired trust with his age.

“Now 93, [Dr Mahathir] has committed to hand over power to the former leader of the opposition, Anwar Ibrahim, 71, whom he released from jail days after his victory.

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“For Malaysia, the episode has re-established democracy in a country that almost teetered into totalitarianism,” she said.

The Bersatu chairman was listed in the “Leaders” category, together with a diverse list that included from US president Donald Trump and Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern and Pope Francis.