Mahathir to launch party to oust Barisan Nasional

Kuala Lumpur

FORMER Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Thursday announced plans for a new party that would join an opposition alliance in a bid to oust the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition led by scandal-tainted Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Speculation has been rife in the past week that the 91-year-old, Malaysia's longest-serving prime minister, was planning to start a party with three other former leaders of the United Malay National Organisation (Umno), which Mr Najib now leads.