Leaked sex videos purporting to show a potential successor to Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad with another man have deepened rifts within the ruling coalition and raised concerns of a turbulent transition from the 93-year-old leader.
The sex tapes, which are allegedly of Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali, were widely distributed to journalists and politicians via WhatsApp last week. Sodomy is a crime in Malaysia; in the past, Anwar Ibrahim, whom Mahathir has named as his successor, spent about a decade in prison under the law.
Azmin, who is said to be close to Mahathir, denied he was in the videos, saying they were a "nefarious plot" to end his political career.