Mahathir's record of curtailing civil liberties in Malaysia as well as his antagonism towards Western interests and economic policy made his relationships with Western nations difficult. He used the controversial Internal Security Act to detain activists, non-mainstream religious figures, and political opponents in 1987 Operation Lalang and later his own Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, whom he fired in 1998. He continued pro- bumiputera affirmative action policies, but in the 1990s introduced the Bangsa Malaysia policy that saw some political liberalisation. However, his power accumulation came at the expense of judicial independence and the Malaysian royalty's traditional powers and privileges.
Mahathir was a dominant political figure, winning five consecutive general elections and fending off a series of rivals for UMNO's leadership. In 1981, he was sworn in as prime minister following the resignation of Hussein Onn.ĭuring Mahathir's first tenure as prime minister, Malaysia experienced a period of rapid modernization and economic growth, and his government initiated widespread industry privatisation and a series of bold infrastructure projects. When Abdul Rahman resigned, Mahathir re-entered UMNO and parliament, and was promoted to the Cabinet, where he served as Minister of Education from 1974 to 1978 and Minister of Trade and Industry from 1978 to 1981. He wrote The Malay Dilemma during this period, which formed the basis of future ethnic Malay affirmative action policies in the country. He served one term before losing his seat, subsequently falling out with Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman and being expelled from UMNO. He became active in the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) before entering the Parliament of Malaysia in 1964. His political career has spanned more than 75 years, from joining protests opposing citizenship policies for non-Malays in the Malayan Union in the 1940s, to forming the Malaysian United Indigenous Party in 2016 and the Homeland Fighters Party in 2020.īorn and raised in Alor Setar, Kedah, Mahathir excelled at school and became a physician. He has served as a member of parliament for Langkawi since May 2018, Kubang Pasu from August 1974 to March 2004, and Kota Setar Selatan from April 1964 to May 1969. Before his promotion to the premiership, he served as Deputy Prime Minister and in other Cabinet positions. He held office from July 1981 to October 2003 and later from May 2018 to March 2020 for a cumulative total of 24 years, making him the country's longest-serving prime minister. Mahathir bin Mohamad ( Jawi: محاضر بن محمد IPA: 10 July 1925) is a Malaysian politician, author, and physician who served as the fourth and seventh prime minister of Malaysia.