Mahathir Malaysia's leader again after ruling party booted

Malaysia's former authoritarian leader Mahathir Mohamad was sworn in as prime minister on Thursday, cementing a stunning political comeback and a historic change in government after leading opposition parties to their first election victory in six decades.

The ceremony before Malaysia's king at the official state palace in Kuala Lumpur ended a day of uncertainty during which rumors swirled that the National Front, Malaysia's perennial ruling party, would try to stay in power. People waiting outside the palace cheered, waved opposition flags and sounded car horns.

People at a restaurant applaud as they watch TV showing former strongman Mahathir Mohamad sworn in as the new Malaysian Prime Minister in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday, May 10, 2018. Official results from Malaysia's national election show the opposition alliance led by the country's former authoritarian ruler Mahathir Mohamad has won a majority in parliament, ending the 60-year rule of the National Front.(AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Malaysians at a restaurant react as they watch TV showing former strongman Mahathir Mohamad being sworn in as the new Malaysian Prime Minister in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday, May 10, 2018. Official results from Malaysia's national election show the opposition alliance led by the country's former authoritarian ruler Mahathir Mohamad has won a majority in parliament, ending the 60-year rule of the National Front.(AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Defeated Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, left, speaks during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday, May 10, 2018. Official results from Malaysia's national election show the opposition alliance led by the country's former authoritarian ruler Mahathir Mohamad has won a majority in parliament, ending the 60-year rule of the National Front. (AP Photo/Adrian Hoe)

The election result is a political earthquake for the Muslim-majority country, sweeping aside the 60-year rule of the National Front and its leader Najib Razak, whose reputation was tarnished by a monumental corruption scandal, a crackdown on dissent and a new sales tax that hurt his coalition's poor rural supporters.

It was also a surprising exception to backsliding on democratic values in Southeast Asia, a region of more than 600 million people where governments of countries including Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines have swung toward harsh authoritarian rule. Amnesty International said Malaysia's first-ever change in government is an opportunity to "eradicate repressive policies" and put human rights first.

"We need to have this government today without delay," Mahathir, 92, said before the ceremony. "There is a lot of work to be done. You know the mess the country is in and we need to attend to this mess as soon as possible and that means today."

Many analysts had thought the National Front might lose the popular vote but cling to a parliamentary majority due to an electoral system that increases the ballot power of rural Malays, the coalition's core supporters. After the result of the election became clear, supporters of the incoming government took to the streets to celebrate.

Defeated Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, center, speaks during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday, May 10, 2018. Official results from Malaysia's national election show the opposition alliance led by the country's former authoritarian ruler Mahathir Mohamad has won a majority in parliament, ending the 60-year rule of the National Front. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Locals newspapers with the headlines of the opposition coalition party winning the general election at a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Thursday, May 10, 2018. Former leader Mahathir Mohamad says the opposition parties who won a shock victory in Malaysia's elections have a clear mandate to form a new government and he expects to be sworn in as prime minister on Thursday. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Mahathir Mohamad reacts as he speaks during a press conference at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Thursday, May 10, 2018. Mahathir says the opposition parties who won a shock victory in Malaysia's elections have a clear mandate to form a new government and he expects to be sworn in as prime minister on Thursday. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

People stood on roadsides waving the white, blue and red flag of the triumphant opposition alliance. Cars honked their horns as they sped past.

"I'm so happy," said Zarini Najibuddin while waving the opposition flag. "I hope we'll have a better Malaysia now. Malaysia reborn!"

Ibrahim Suffian, co-founder of the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research, said the new government will have to contend with "enormous forces of inertia and resistance from within the government elites."

"The bureaucracy and the rest of the government apparatus has never been used to this idea, having been, you know, more than 60 years under the same political party," he said.

Mahathir, prime minister for 22 years until stepping down in 2003, was credited with modernizing Malaysia but was also known as a heavy-handed leader who imprisoned opponents and subjugated the courts.

Mahathir Mohamad reacts as he speaks during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Thursday, May 10, 2018. Mahathir says the opposition parties who won a shock victory in Malaysia's elections have a clear mandate to form a new government and he expects to be sworn in as prime minister on Thursday. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

People at a restaurant watch as the former strongman Mahathir Mohamad is sworn in as the new Malaysian Prime Minister in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday, May 10, 2018. Official results from Malaysia's national election show the opposition alliance led by the country's former authoritarian ruler Mahathir Mohamad has won a majority in parliament, ending the 60-year rule of the National Front.(AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Defeated Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak speaks during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday, May 10, 2018. Official results from Malaysia's national election show the opposition alliance led by the country's former authoritarian ruler Mahathir Mohamad has won a majority in parliament, ending the 60-year rule of the National Front. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Angered by the graft scandal at state investment fund 1MDB, Mahathir emerged from political retirement and joined the opposition in an attempt to oust Najib, his former protege.

The U.S. Justice Department says $4.5 billion was looted from 1MBD by associates of Najib between 2009 and 2014, including $700 million that landed in Najib's bank account and a $23 million pink diamond necklace bought for Najib's wife. He has denied wrongdoing.

Mahathir said the new government will not conduct a witch hunt, but Najib will have to face the consequences if he has broken the law.

Bridget Welsh, a Southeast Asia expert at John Cabot University in Rome, said it was hugely ironic that Mahathir, who damaged Malaysia's democratic institutions with his strong-arm rule, has returned as its political savior.

"It is not just a comeback," she said. "It is about making amends about his mistakes and moving Malaysia forward."

Mahathir has said the new government would seek the release and full pardon of Anwar Ibrahim, an opposition icon imprisoned on sodomy charges that Anwar and his supporters said were fabricated by the National Front to crush the opposition. Anwar, whose sentence ends on June 8, should be free to participate in politics, he said. Anwar, a former deputy prime minister in the ruling party, was also imprisoned under Mahathir following a power struggle.

Mahathir Mohamad smiles during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday, May 10, 2018. Mahathir says he expects to be sworn in as prime minister today. (AP Photo/Adrian Hoe)

Mahathir Mohamad, left, receives official documentation from Malaysia's King Muhammad V, right, as he was sworn in as Malaysia's new prime minister at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Thursday, May 10, 2018. Malaysia's former authoritarian leader Mohamad, who in a stunning political comeback led opposition parties to their first election victory in six decades, was sworn in as prime minister on Thursday, cementing a historic change of government. (Rosli Awang/Bernama via AP)

President of Justice Party Wan Azizah, left, speaks with Mahathir Mohamad after a press conference at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Thursday, May 10, 2018. Mahathir says the opposition parties who won a shock victory in Malaysia's elections have a clear mandate to form a new government and he expects to be sworn in as prime minister on Thursday. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

On the economic front, Mahathir vowed to cancel a goods and service tax imposed since 2015 and said the government could also renegotiate the terms of Chinese loans for infrastructure projects.

He criticized a "fake news" law pushed through parliament by the National Front during the lead-up to the election. Mahathir is being investigated under that law for claiming a plane he was to travel on was sabotaged during the campaign.

People applaud at a restaurant as they watch a TV showing former strongman Mahathir Mohamad being sworn in as the new Malaysian Prime Minister in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday, May 10, 2018. Official results from Malaysia's national election show the opposition alliance led by the country's former authoritarian ruler Mahathir Mohamad has won a majority in parliament, ending the 60-year rule of the National Front.(AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad talks during press conference in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, Thursday, May 10, 2018. Malaysia's former authoritarian leader Mahathir Mohamad, who in a stunning political comeback led opposition parties to their first election victory in six decades, was sworn in as prime minister on Thursday, cementing a historic change of government. (AP Photo/Sadiq Asyraf)

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, center, talks during a press conference in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, Thursday, May 10, 2018. Malaysia's former authoritarian leader Mahathir Mohamad, who in a stunning political comeback led opposition parties to their first election victory in six decades, was sworn in as prime minister on Thursday, cementing a historic change of government. (AP Photo/Sadiq Asyraf)

Najib, 64, said he accepted the "verdict of the people."

The National Front "will honor the principle of democracy in the parliament," he said.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — A Malaysian shoe company has apologized and stopped selling some of its footwear after some Muslims said the logo resembled the Arabic writing for the word God.

Vern’s Holdings said the logo stamped on the soles of some high-heeled shoes depicted the silhouette of a stiletto heel with an ankle spiral wrap. It acknowledged, however, that shortcomings in the design may have led to the logo being misinterpreted. The company also said it acted immediately to stop sales of the shoes and issue refunds to customers who bought them.

“We have absolutely no intention of designing a logo aimed at belittling or insulting any religion or belief,” Vern’s said in the statement posted on social media. “The management would like to humbly apologize and seek forgiveness. We hope for compassion so we can rectify this mistake.”

Police said Monday they confiscated more than 1,100 shoes from Vern’s stores. The Department of Islamic Development, an agency that handles Islamic affairs in Malaysia, also summoned the company's founder, Ng Chuan Hoo.

The local Star English-language newspaper quoted NG as saying he regretted the uneasiness caused and hurting the Muslim community. “I hope to learn from the incident and to be more careful and sensitive in the future,” he said.

The Islamic department said if evidence that the logo was deliberately created to mimic the word “God” in Arabic, legal action will be taken to prevent similar future incidents.

It also urged businesses to remain vigilant of sensitive issues that can threaten the country's racial unity.

The footwear controversy followed a furor last month over socks printed with the word “Allah” on the shelves in a large Malaysian convenience store chain. The owners of KK Mart and representatives from one of its suppliers were charged on March 26 with offending the religious feelings of Muslims, and some stores were hit with small petrol bombs. No injuries were reported.

Religion is a sensitive issue in Malaysia, where Muslims account for two-thirds of a population of 34 million, with large ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities. “Allah,” the Arabic word for God, is sacrosanct to Malaysian Muslims and many found it offensive to associate the word with feet.

The matter came to light after critical social media posts highlighted the logo's resemblance. Religious authorities and police have said they were investigating the matter after receiving complaints from the public.

Meanwhile, tensions have remained over the earlier case. KK Mart Group, the country’s second-large chain of convenience stores, has said the supplier sent items the company had not agreed to stock. The supply company founder has said the socks were imported from China as part of a large shipment and apologized for being careless in their inspection.

The leader of a Malay nationalist party's youth wing in Malaysia's government has pressed for a boycott of the chain and is being investigated for alleged sedition over a social media post showing him wielding a sword.

Critics say the party seeks to woo ethnic Malay support after heavy losses in the last general elections.

A customer walk out from KK Mart convenience store in Puchong area on the outskirts of of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Tuesday, March 26, 2024. The owner of a Malaysian convenience store chain was charged Tuesday with deliberately wounding the religious feelings of others after socks with the word "Allah" were found sold in some outlets. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

People shop at a Vern's outlet at a shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, April 8, 2024. Vern’s Holdings, a Malaysian shoe company has apologized and stopped selling some of its footwear after some Muslims said the logo resembled the Arabic writing for the word God. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)