Malaysia's Mahathir Mohamad: a 100-year mixed legacy
His entry into electoral politics was a turning point. In 1964, Mahathir contested his first parliamentary seat for Umno in Kedah. Unlike the United Malays National Organisation's urbane, first-generation leaders, Mahathir came from a rural background and articulated a more ethnically focused vision for Malaysia than was customary at the time.
Following a brief period in the political wilderness, the result of his clashes with Malaysia's founding prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Mahathir rejoined Umno in the wake of
the racial unrest of May 1969 . His rhetoric and outlook fit in with the country's conscious pivot towards addressing wealth disparities among its various ethnic groups.
First ascending to the premiership in 1981, Mahathir led Malaysia for an unprecedented 22 years. His stewardship of the economy was, at the macro level, laudable. He was committed to balanced budgets, maintained a relatively open economy, prioritised infrastructure investment and courted foreign direct investment. The result was an average annual growth rate of 6 to 7 per cent.
Tourists take pictures in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday with the Petronas Twin Towers in the background. Photo: AFP
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