Author: Barry Wain
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN: 9780230238732
Back Cover text
Critical Studies of The Asia-Pacific
The granson of an Indian Immigrant and the first Malay commoner to become prime minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohammad turned the Muslim-majority Southeast Asian country into one of the developing world's most successful economies. During his 22 years in power he adopted pragmatic economic policies alongside repressive political measures, and showed that Islam was compatible with representative government and modernization. Abrasive and outspoken, Mahathir emerged as a Third World champion and Islamic spokesman by condemning the West, not least for trying to impose liberal democracy and neo-liberal economics on developing nations. By raising living standards and winning international acclaim, he contributed to a sense of national identity, pride and confidence among ethnically diverse Malaysians. But in mixing business and politics, Mahathir encouraged cronyism and failed to prevent the spread of corruption. Authoritarian and impatient, he jailed opponents, sacked rivals and undermined institutions as he pursued his obsession with development. In retirement, he broke a promise to stay out of politics, falling out with his two successors while using all available means to protect his legacy.
PART I: The Making Of A Malay Champion Politicized by War and Peace An Early Introduction to Brutal Politics
PART II: Prime Minister for Life, Almost From Outcast to Presidential Premier The Vision of a Modern Nation A Volatile Mix of Business and Politics Scandal, What Scandal? Big, Bigger, Bust An Uncrowned King The Perils of a Pragmatic Islam A Strident Voice for the Third World The Destruction of a Designated Heir
PART III: Turmoil In Retirement A Bare-Knuckle Brawl of One Man's Legacy A Place in History
Barry Wain, a former editor of the Asian Wall Street Journal, is Writer-in-Residence at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore. An Australian journalist who has lived in Asia for 37 years, he is author of The Refused, an account of the refugee outflow from Indochina after the Vietnam War.
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