Mahathir Mohamad

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Lore & Background

Mahathir came out of retirement in response to the 1MDB scandal and led the opposition Pakatan Harapan coalition to victory in the May 2018 general election, defeating prime minister Najib Razak. Voters, fueled by anger over the multi-billion dollar scandal at 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and rising living costs, dumped Najib and his long-ruling coalition. At 10 pm on election night, Mahathir was officially sworn in as prime minister. During his first press conference, when asked whether action would be taken against Najib, Mahathir replied, 'We, Pakatan Harapan, are not seeking revenge. We simply want to restore the rule of law.' He announced plans to scrap the goods and service tax introduced in 2015 and a recent 'fake news' law. On 15 May 2018, Mahathir said he may remain premier for up to two years and will play a role in the background even after he steps down. Mahathir moved swiftly against Najib, banning him from leaving the country and planning to reopen the 1MDB investigation. On 21 May 2018, Mahathir agreed to form a special investigation team to thoroughly probe the 1MDB case. On 19 June 2018, he said embezzlement and bribery involving government funds were among charges being considered against Najib, and that his government had a near perfect case. On 3 July, Najib was arrested in Kuala Lumpur and charged with multiple counts of corruption, money laundering, and abuse of power related to 1MDB. On 13 November 2018, Mahathir told CNBC that Goldman Sachs Group Inc 'cheated' Malaysia over its dealings with 1MDB. On 9 April 2019, Mahathir and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong jointly praised their countries' collaboration in investigating the scandal. On 3 May 2019, Mahathir expressed confidence that US and Singaporean authorities would return more than RM930 million allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB.

Reader's Guide

Mahathir's second term saw significant developments in domestic policy and foreign relations. His government reviewed and canceled or delayed several mega infrastructure projects, including the cancellation of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail project and the postponement of the East Coast Rail Link. On 11 October 2018, the cabinet announced plans to abolish the death penalty and halt pending executions, though on 13 March 2019 the government reversed that plan, instead intending to abolish mandatory capital punishment while allowing courts to decide on executions. On 18 February 2020, Mahathir said the mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking might be amended to life sentence. On 5 October 2019, Mahathir officiated the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030, saying it could put Malaysia as a new Asian Tiger and provide a decent standard of living for all Malaysians by 2030, adding that Malaysia needed to 'amputate the cancerous limbs of corruption and abuse of power.'

In foreign relations, Mahathir launched a new Foreign Policy Framework on 18 September 2019, pledging to prioritize maintaining good relations with other nations while practicing justice and fairness. He refused to extradite Zakir Naik but extradited Turkish national Arif Komis and his family in August 2019. On 7 January 2020, Mahathir described the U.S. killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani as immoral and against international laws. He was supportive of the 2018–19 Korean peace process, saying 'the world should not treat North Korean leader Kim Jong-un with scepticism and instead learn from his new attitude towards bringing about peace.' He met with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on 16 July 2018 to discuss curbing extremism and terrorism, and visited Manila in March 2019 where the two countries pledged to enhance cooperation on security issues including terrorism, piracy, and transnational crimes.

Did You Know?

• At age 92, Mahathir became the world's oldest serving prime minister after winning the 2018 general election.
• Mahathir banned his predecessor Najib Razak from leaving the country just days after the election victory.
• On 13 November 2018, Mahathir told CNBC that Goldman Sachs 'cheated' Malaysia over its dealings with 1MDB.
• Mahathir drove Indonesian President Joko Widodo in a Proton Persona car to a luncheon at Seri Perdana on 9 August 2019.
• Mahathir said on 15 May 2018 that he may remain premier for up to two years and would play a role in the background even after stepping down.