Since morning, people were streaming in and out of the Perdana Leadership Foundation, which is nestled next to a lake in a corner of the administrative capital of Putrajaya.

The building, which was meant to serve as Dr Mahathir Mohamad's post-retirement enclave to ponder on statesman-like issues such as global conflicts, has now turned into the nerve centre of the new government after the 92-year-old politician was sworn-in as prime minister last week...