Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times by Barry Wain (fantasy novels to read .TXT) 📕

Mustafa K. Anuar, "'Muzzled': The Media in Mahathir's Malaysia", p. 487.

"Asia 1999: Country Report: Malaysia", Committee to Protect Journalists.

John Berthelsen, "Second Malaysian Journalist is Arrested Under Secrets Act", Asian Wall Street Journal, 4 November 1985.

Anil Netto, "Clampdown on Media Freedom", Aliran Monthly, http://www.aliran.com/monthly/2003/1d.html (accessed 1 January 2006).

"Q&A: I'm Disappointed, Says Mahathir", 23 May 2006, http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/51427 (accessed 30 August 2008).

From 1 January 2009, http://chedet.co.cc/chedetblog/.

Soon Li Tsin, "Report Card: Pak Lah Fails", 31 October 2006, http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/58798 (accessed 2 September 2008).

Hannah Beech, "Not the Retiring Type", Time, 6 November 2006, p. 39.

"An Open Letter by Tun Dr. Mahathir".

"Pak Lah has 'Habit of Lying': Dr. M", 11 September 2006, http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/56587 (accessed 2 September 2008).

Interview with Mahathir associate, 30 May 2007.

Carolyn Hong, "Stage Set for a Battle to the Bitter End", Straits Times, 28 October 2006.

Interview with Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, 17 January 2008.

Leslie Lopez, "Attacks on Abdullah Starting to Hurt Dr. M", Straits Times, 2 November 2006.

Carolyn Hong, "Mahathir Hits Out at Abdullah One Day after 'Peace Talks'", Straits Times, 24 October 2006.

"Pak Lah has 'Habit of Lying': Dr. M".

Carolyn Hong, "Malaysians Lap Up News on ex-PM's Health", Straits Times, 3 October 2007.

Assif Shameen, "Abdullah Set to Realize Vision 2020", Straits Times, 13 September 2006.

Bernama, Agence France-Presse, "Abdullah Refutes Claims of Being Weak", Straits Times, 4 March 2008.

Associated Press, "KL is Winning Anti-Graft Fight, Says Abdullah", Straits Times, 13 April 2007.

Reme Ahmad, "Istana Zakaria — Klang's Latest Tourist Attraction", Sunday Times, 5 November 2006.

New Straits Times, "Klang UMNO Chief Quits State Post Over Scandals", Straits Times, 4 November 2006.

Leslie Lopez, "Govt Bailout Looms for Port Klang Project", Straits Times, 13 August 2007.

Ibid.

Carolyn Hong, "Abdullah Lashes Out", Straits Times, 7 April 2008.

"Dr M & Eusoff: Competing in Selective Amnesia?", 19 January 2008, http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/77222 (accessed 21 January 2008).

Farish A. Noor, "Malaysia's Shame", News Today, 14 July 2007.

Joseph Liow, "Islam Hadhari: A Slogan Gone Cold?", Straits Times, 23 February 2008.

Chow Kum Hor, "Abdullah Loses Support of Indian Community", Straits Times, 26 January 2008.

Steven Gan, "An Incompetent, Not-So-Nice Guy", 27 November 2007, http://malaysiakini.com/editorials/75321 (accessed 25 April 2006).

Leslie Lopez, "Abdullah to Unveil Judicial Reforms Today", Straits Times, 17 April 2008.

Ibid.

Ibid.

Zaid Ibrahim, "Fixing Malaysia's Judiciary", Wall Street Journal Asia, 20 May 2008.

"Apology for Chief Justice's Sacking: No", Straits Times, 9 April 2008.

Carolyn Hong, "Take Me to Court", Sunday Times, 18 May 2008.

Mahathir Mohamad, "Pantun Seloka", in A Tribute to Dr. Mahathir Mohamad: A Great Leader and Statesman (Kuala Lumpur: Various Channels Communications Sdn. Bhd., 2003), p. unnumbered.

Bernama, Star/Asia News Network, "Muhyiddin Best to be DPM, Says Mahathir", Straits Times, 13 October 2008.

Carolyn Hong, "Abdullah's Reform Bills Fail to Win Over Critics", Straits Times, 13 December 2008.

Carolyn Hong, "Abdullah Lashes Out at Mahathir", Straits Times, 20 October 2008.

Teo Cheng Wee, "Mahathir to Make UMNO Comeback", Sunday Times, 29 March 2009.

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A Place in History

Universiti Utara Malaysia, a bucolic campus at Sintoc in Kedah near the northern border with Thailand, commends itself as a place to contemplate Mahathir Mohamad's legacy. As prime minister, Dr. Mahathir built this university, which specialized in management and quickly attracted a 22,000-student body, in his own parliamentary constituency. It was UUM that conferred an honorary degree on former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in 2002 to acknowledge her warm personal bond with Dr. Mahathir, and it was UUM that was chosen to host the Institute of Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad's Thoughts after he retired in 2003.

But in the modest building where the institute is housed on the first floor, the silence that greeted a visitor in 2007 was almost deafening. The RM21 million in government funding requested by the institute had not materialized, and it was limping along with a staff of nine, seven of them administrative employees. The two professionals were part-timers, required to teach and conduct research in other UUM departments as well. Working with a slim allocation from the regular UUM budget, they lacked the resources to begin analysing the deeds of one of Southeast Asia's last strongmen. A bookcase told the story: It contained only a few of the dozens of volumes written by and about Dr. Mahathir. Having decided to establish the institute while Dr. Mahathir was still being lionized as the nation's leader, his political associates were reluctant to finance their commitment once he had departed.

The about-turn in sentiment was astonishing. For months before Dr. Mahathir had left the prime minister's official residence, many Malaysians almost tripped over themselves in eulogising him. Emotional tributes filled the newspapers and gushing editorials credited him with almost everything positive about the country. Muhammad Muhammad Taib, an UMNO vice president, described Dr. Mahathir as an "extraordinary leader" and declared, "Even in 100 years, or even 1,000 years, it would be difficult to find another like him."[1] In the week Dr. Mahathir actually stepped down, Kuala Lumpur was festooned with banners thanking him and wishing him well.[2] The annual General Assembly of UMNO in June, the last Dr. Mahathir attended as president, reverberated with bursts of song and rhyming couplets in his praise.[3] Delegates adopted a resolution urging the government to ponder, preserve and propagate the thoughts of the great leader, along with those of his predecessors, through the establishment of an academic institute.

Although the Cabinet had endorsed the idea and awarded the honour to UUM against competing bids from other universities, the Institute of Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad's Thoughts was effectively stillborn in late 2003. The ill wind that blew northward from Kuala Lumpur could be explained in part by the shift in political power and priorities that accompany any change in national leadership. In this case, however, there was malign intent as well. Deeply regretting what he considered a grave mistake in choosing Abdullah Badawi as his successor, Dr. Mahathir was waging open warfare on him. Abdullah, in return, was not about to do anything to enhance Dr. Mahathir's status.

Weighing Dr. Mahathir's performance requires an understanding that it spanned a full generation and included extremes of success and failure. Out of office, he did little to encourage