Mahathir Mohamad

Mahathir bin Mohamad (; ; born 10 July 1925) is a Malaysian politician, author, and doctor who served as the fourth and seventh Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1981 to 2003 and from 2018 to 2020. With a cumulative tenure of 24 years, making him the longest-serving prime minister in Malaysian history. Before becoming premier, he served as Deputy Prime Minister and in other cabinet positions. He was a Member of Parliament for Langkawi from 2018 to 2022, Kubang Pasu from 1974 to 2004, and Kota Star Selatan from 1964 to 1969. His political career spanned more than 78 years, from joining protests opposing citizenship policies for non-Malays in the Malayan Union in the 1940s to forming the Gerakan Tanah Air coalition in 2022. He was granted the soubriquet "Father of Modernisation" ("''Bapa Pemodenan''") for his pivotal role in transforming the country's economy and infrastructure. At the age of 99, Mahathir is currently the oldest living former Malaysian prime minister.

Born and raised in Alor Setar, Kedah, Mahathir excelled in his studies and pursued a career in medicine, becoming a physician. His involvement in politics began when he joined the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), Malaysia's leading political party advocating Malay interests. His dedication to the party led him to enter the parliament of Malaysia in the 1964 general election, where he served one term before losing his seat. His relationship with the then-Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, deteriorated, leading to his expulsion from UMNO. During his time outside the party, Mahathir published his book ''The Malay Dilemma'' in 1970, a work that explored the socio-political and economic challenges facing the Malay community and drew significant attention for its bold views. After Tunku's resignation, Mahathir rejoined UMNO and regained his seat in parliament. His political ascent continued as he was appointed Minister of Education from 1974 to 1978. He subsequently became Minister of Trade and Industry from 1978 to 1981, promoting industrialization to strengthen the national economy. In 1976, he advanced to the position of deputy prime minister, and in 1981, he was sworn in as prime minister, embarking on a historic tenure that would span 22 years and transform Malaysia's political and economic landscape.

During Mahathir's first tenure, Malaysia underwent modernisation and economic growth when his government initiated widespread industry privatisation and a series of bold infrastructure projects, such as the Petronas Towers and the Multimedia Super Corridor. Under his leadership, Malaysia transformed from being an agricultural country to a modern, industrial nation and emerged as one of the most dynamic economies in Southeast Asia. Between 1988 and 1996, Malaysia experienced an 8 percent economic growth rate, during which Mahathir introduced an economic plan, known as The Way Forward or Vision 2020, aiming for the country to achieve fully developed nation status by 2020. Mahathir was a dominating political figure, winning five consecutive general elections and fending off rivals for UMNO's leadership. He continued pro-bumiputera policies, promoted heavy industries such as PROTON, and oversaw Malaysia's relatively fast recovery from the 1997 Asian financial crisis through unconventional economic measures, including currency controls and the fixed exchange rate of the ringgit. Critics argue that he centralized power by undermining judicial independence and supported a constitutional amendment to remove legal immunity for royalty. In 1987, he detained various activists and religious figures under Operation Lalang, and in 1998, had his deputy Anwar Ibrahim arrested. His record of authoritarianism and curtailment of civil liberties strained relationships with the West. As prime minister, he was an advocate of Asian values and development models, emphasizing self-reliance and regional cooperation. Internationally, Mahathir was particularly prominent across the Muslim world, using Malaysia's growing influence to foster greater unity and development among Islamic nations. His leadership and influence were further recognized on the global stage in 1997, when ''Asiaweek'' ranked him second on its list of the 50 most powerful individuals in Asia.

In 2002, Mahathir announced his intention to resign as Prime Minister, officially stepping down in 2003 after 22 years in office, but remained politically influential and was critical of his successors. He published several books, including his memoir ''A Doctor in the House''. Mahathir also served as the Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) from 2004 to 2016. He quit UMNO over the 1MDB corruption scandal in 2016, joining BERSATU and leading the Pakatan Harapan opposition coalition to victory in the 2018 general election. This made him the world's oldest serving prime minister at age 92. Following this election victory, ''Time'' magazine listed him among the 100 Most Influential People in 2019. During his second tenure, he pledged to investigate the 1MDB scandal, combat corruption, and cut spending on large infrastructure projects. He also secured the pardon and release of Anwar Ibrahim and introduced the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030. Internationally, Mahathir launched Malaysia's Foreign Policy Framework in 2019. Mahathir resigned in 2020 amidst a political crisis. Despite losing his parliamentary seat in the 2022 general election, he remained active in politics and shifted party affiliation several times. Mahathir has a history of heart problems and has been hospitalised on several occasions in recent years.

Mahathir's political views have shifted throughout his life, and are shaped by his Malay nationalism and Islamic religious beliefs. Initially, he was aligned with Third-Worldism in the 1980s and later advocated for "Asian values" and globalization. He has consistently maintained Islamic political views throughout his political career. He is revered in developing and Islamic nations for Malaysia's economic progress and support of liberal Muslim values. He also champions Malay nationalism, although he has evolved from supporting "''Ketuanan Melayu''" to advocating a "Bangsa Malaysia" that assimilates non-Malays into Malay culture, strictly rejecting multiculturalism. He criticizes neoliberalism and Western influence, controversially suggesting that the US government was involved in the 9/11 attacks and a group of international elites control every aspects of life with the aim of establishing global hegemony. He has also been accused of antisemitism for his comments, which include stereotypes about Jews' financial skills and media control. On environmental issues, he criticizes the Global North countries for "eco-imperialism" and defends Malaysia's palm oil industry as sustainable, despite international scrutiny linking it to deforestation. Provided by Wikipedia