KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian ex-leader Mahathir Mohamad, 92, said on Thursday he expects to be sworn in as Prime Minister within hours, quelling concerns around the succession after his stunning win over the scandal-plagued coalition that has ruled for six decades.

In a huge political upset, Mahathir's opposition alliance ended the hold on power of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which has governed Malaysia uninterrupted since its birth as an independent country in 1957.