Malaysia's Mahathir suffers mild heart attack

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's former premier Mahathir Mohamad has suffered a mild heart attack but is in stable condition in a Kuala Lumpur hospital, his son said Thursday.

"He had chest pains late last night and early this morning, so we called his doctors and they suspected it was a minor heart attack," his son Mokhzani told foreign news agency.

"So we took him to the National Heart Institute and the tests confirmed that's exactly what he had."

Mokhzani said the 82-year-old Mahathir -- who ruled Malaysia for 22 years until handing power to current Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in October 2003 -- was conscious and in stable condition.