UNITED NATIONS, May 10 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday congratulated Malaysia on the peaceful holding of national and state legislative elections and commended Malaysians for their strong commitment to the democratic process, said his spokesman.

The secretary-general also welcomed Thursday's announcement of the formation of a new government under the leadership of Mahathir Mohamad, said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, in a statement.

Guterres paid tribute to outgoing Prime Minister Najib Razak, he said.

The UN chief looked forward to further working closely with Malaysia on issues of common interest, said the statement.