Rumors of the death of former Malaysian Prime Minister and “Father of Modern Malaysia” Dr. Mahathir Mohamad have once again circulated on social media, with multiple posts on Facebook suggesting the same. However, no credible international media outlet has reported on Mahathir’s death.
Upon investigation, a Reuters article titled “Malaysia’s Daim Zainuddin, reformist ex-finance minister, dies at 86” dated November 14 confirms the passing of Daim Zainuddin, a former finance minister under Mahathir’s leadership, on November 13. On the same day, Malaysia’s The Star reported that Mahathir Mohamad, along with his wife, visited Daim’s residence to pay their respects.
Fact-checking platform Rumor Scan has verified that Mahathir Mohamad is alive and had visited Daim’s family to offer condolences. If Mahathir had passed, international news agencies would likely have reported it, which has not occurred.
Despite these facts, misleading social media posts continue to spread, with some users expressing condolences over Mahathir’s rumored death. While some users removed their posts after learning it was a false report, similar posts remain visible on various profiles and pages.
The rumors appear to have originated from confusion over the death of Daim Zainuddin on November 13. This is not the first such instance; similar rumors about Mahathir’s death also circulated in January 2022, prompting frustration among his family and a rush of journalists to the hospital.
