Mahathir to meet Malaysian king

Mahathir to meet Malaysian king

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia's leader for 18
years, was to meet the king on Wednesday in the first step toward
his swearing-in as prime minister, election officials said.

Mahathir was assured of a fifth consecutive term after his
National Front coalition won Monday's parliamentary elections,
retaining its two-thirds majority with a campaign that focused on
economic and civil stability.

He proclaimed his triumph early on Tuesday to thousands of
cheering members of his United Malays National Organization
party, the linchpin of the 14-component coalition.

The 73-year-old leader was scheduled to meet with Sultan
Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah on Wednesday, the national Bernama
news agency reported.

Traditionally, the leader of the newly elected parliamentary
majority informs the monarch of the victory and seeks assent to
form a government.

The report did not specify when Mahathir's reinstatement
ceremony would be held. Mahathir was scheduled to fly to the
northern resort island of Langkawi later on Wednesday to attend
an air show.

Just hours after Mahathir's National Front coalition retained
its two-thirds majority in Parliament, stocks on the benchmark
Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Composite Index opened with brief
gains but dropped 1.3 percent to 736.30.