Amid political chaos, Mahathir holds all the cards

KUALA LUMPUR - The Malaysian King's appointment of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as interim Prime Minister just hours after he resigned as head of government underlines how the grand old man of Malaysian politics remains the only person in the country who can command the premiership today.

For both King and country, this is the only certainty after 48 hours of furious, chaotic political horse-trading.