welcome to hardtalk with me, zeinab badawi.t today is the oldest head of government in the world. malaysia's prime minister, mahathir mohamad, came back to office in may after a shock election victory against his own former ruling coalition. the country has been mired in allegations of corruption swirling around the previous government, which has dented confidence at home and abroad. first time around, mahathir was prime minister for more than 20 consecutive years until 2003. can he leave his own chequered past behind and lead malaysia to a brighter future? prime minister mahathir mohamad, welcome to hardtalk. thank you. extraordinary return to power in may for you, after 15 years of retirement, what made you want to return to government? people came to me frequently, groups of people, asking me to please do something about a government which they found not the kind of usual government. it is very oppressive, it's very corrupt. so you have got this big corruption case against the former prime minister, najib razak, in connectio

it's hardtalk with zeinab badawi. welcome to hardtalk, with me, zeinab badawi.guest is a former business executive—turned—politician. he is saulos chilima, the vice president of the small southern african state of malawi. he was president mutharika's running mate in the elections in 2014. now he has left the ruling democratic progressive party, and says he will run against him in the presidential elections next year to, as he puts it, save the country from destruction and corruption. why is he criticising a government of which he still is a member, and if corruption is really as bad as he describes, why doesn't the vice president use his influence to stop the rot? vice president saulos chilima, of malawi, welcome to hardtalk. thank you. why are you running against the very man you stood with in 2014, on a joint ticket? times change. and, first of all, it's a constitutional right in malawi for any person above the age of 35, and who has got the right qualifications, to contest for office. i am not saying that you are not fit to run for president. i am just enquir

now on bbc news, it is hardtalk, with zeinab badawi.

now on bbc news, it's hardtalk with zeinab badawi.

riot police broke up a protest of more than 180,000 people now on bbc news it's hardtalk with zeinab badawi