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KUALA LUMPUR, Feb. 24-- Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad abruptly resigned on Monday, which could lead his country's politics into unchartered territories. Mahathir announced his resignation earlier in the day, both as the prime minister and as the chairman of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM), one of four component parties of the ruling Pakatan Harapan coalition. "Mahathir Mohamad had sent a letter of resignation as Prime Minister of Malaysia today," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement, adding that the letter had been given to King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, who served as the country's ceremonial head of state. Following a meeting between Sultan Abdullah and Mahathir at the national palace, chief secretary to the government Mohd Zuki Ali said in a statement that Mahathir's resignation was accepted. Sultan Abdullah also appointed Mahathir to serve as the interim prime minister until a new Prime Minister was chosen and a new cabinet established, the statement added. The 94-year-old Mahathir has neither spoken publicly since announcing his resignation nor provided any reason or explanation for doing so. But it came amid speculations that he might seek to form a new government with oppositions after receiving internal pressure from the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH), or Alliance of Hope, to step down for former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. After a Pakatan Harapan Supreme Council meeting on Friday, Mahathir insisted that he would step down after the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit at the end of the year but the exact timing will be decided by himself. | 
