Premier Fires His Likely Successor

After months of economic policy disagreements, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has fired his deputy, Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar, 51, for years seen as Mahathir’s successor, had been left out of economic decisions for months after differing with his boss on the course of the nation’s economic recovery. Malaysia’s currency and markets have plummeted since the Asian economic crisis began in July 1997, and the country formally went into recession last week. Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang warned that the dismissal could push Malaysia “into an unprecedented political crisis and turmoil.”