SINGAPORE: Tens of thousands of people have signed an online petition seeking a Nobel Peace Prize nomination for Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
Started by change.org user Alexandria Abishegam just one day ago, the online petition had more than 51,000 signatures as of around 9pm on Sunday evening (May 27).
Mahathir should be nominated "in recognition of his determination" to return to politics, said Abishegam in her petition.
"Tun Dr Mahathir focused on the importance of transparency, democracy and rule of law for Malaysia," she wrote. "The fact that Tun Dr Mahathir has also openly admitted his own faults and apologised for his mistakes of the past makes him truly a 'Giant of a Man' and a leader to emulate."
Going on to describe him as "the 'Nelson Mandela' of Malaysia", the petition praised the prime minister for "helming a peaceful transfer of power".
Malaysia's historic general election on May 9 saw the 92-year-old leading the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition to victory, bringing to an end the decades-long rule of Barisan Nasional.
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Mahathir had previously served as prime minister of Malaysia for 22 years, starting in 1981. Critics have accused him of restricting free speech and persecuting political opponents during his previous tenure as prime minister.
"GOD'S GIFT TO MALAYSIA"
Those who signed the petition have expressed admiration for the prime minister, citing his contributions to the country and calling him a "hero".
"This man is God's gift to Malaysia. At 93 years old, he still has the strength and willpower to rescue this country out of economic doldrum/disaster," wrote one signatory Saminal Idris.
Mahathir is set to turn 93 later this year.
"(He is) most deserving for his untiring efforts to save Malaysia from the clutches of corrupted Barisan Nasional government," wrote another signatory Greggory Chew.
However, Mahathir will probably miss out on a Nobel Peace Prize nomination this year, as the deadline to nominate a person for the prize is Feb 1, 2018.
According to the Nobel Prize website, there are 330 candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize this year, the second-highest number received. The record of 376 candidates was set in 2016.
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/mahathir-nobel-peace-prize-petition-10282240
