A THREE-CORNERED fight is shaping up in Langkawi, where Dr Mahathir Mohamad will face candidates from Barisan Nasional and PAS.

The 93-year-old Bersatu leader and Pakatan Harapan chairman filed his nomination papers for what will likely be his final election and last attempt to unseat Najib Razak’s government.

He will face Langkawi incumbent, Nawawi Hassan (BN) and Zubir Ahmad (PAS).

Nawawi won in the 2013 general election by 11,861 votes against PKR’s Ahmad Abdullah.

Dr Mahathir, while he was prime minister, was hailed as the father of development for Langkawi, which is in his home state of Kedah.

The former prime minister is re-entering politics after 15 years and is contesting under the PKR logo, the symbol of the party of his former nemesis Anwar Ibrahim, whom he sacked as deputy prime minister in 1998.

Political analyst Prof Bridget Welsh gave Dr Mahathir a 55% chance of winning the federal seat, which was won by BN in 2013 by 11,000 votes.

“He has to work hard. Langkawi voters know that this fight is about seizing power at the national level.

“Langkawi residents are proud that Dr Mahathir has put their name on the world map,” she said.

But at the state level, Welsh expected a tougher challenge for the opposition. – April 28, 2018.