Group Assignment for Malaysian Studies (MPW 1133)
QUESTION: Discuss the background and contribution of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia.
Tun Dr Mahathir Muhamad
Introduction
“Malaysians have all sorts of emotions when it comes to Tun Dr Mahathir,… You just have to say his name, and you get all sorts of reactions…” Comments made by Lina Tan (Editor and Producer of Mahathir, on the History Channel (Astro Channel 555)
Yes, it is true, when you mention the name Mahathir, even among students, you surely get all sort of comments and reactions. His name Dr M is synonym to the vast development of modern Malaysia. He is a very well-known political leader who served as Prime Minister of Malaysia for 21 long years, making him Malaysia’s longest-serving Prime Minister, and one of the longest serving leaders in Asia. He is always remembered as the man behind Malaysia’s rapid modernization. He is also known for his criticisms towards western and developed countries, considered to be one of the Asia’s most influential leaders and noted in the Western world as an outspoken critic of Western Style of globalization. ((http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki)
In this group work, we are going to discuss in detail the background and contributions of Dr Mahathir as the Fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia.
Dr Mahathir Background
Real name of Dr Mahathir is Mahathir bin Muhamad. He was born in Alor Setar, Kedah, Malaysia on 20 December 1925. His Father’s name is Mohamad bin Iskandar. Mahathir was the youngest child of nine children of Mohamad Iskandar who was a schoolteacher and Wan Tampawan who was a housewife. He was mixed blood of Indian and Malay. His father, a Malayalee Muslim, was an Indian, originated from Kerala, India, while his mother, was a Malay. During the Japanese Occupation of Malaya, Mahathir sold pisang goring (banana fritters) and other snacks to supplement his
References: 3. Robin Adhshead, Mahathir of Malaysia: Statemen and Leaders, 2002. 4. Faizal Yusup, Bicara Tentang Mahathir, (2004)Pekan Ilmu Publications Sdn Bhd 5 Main article: Permatang Pauh by-election, 2008 Anwar Ibrahim was victorious in the Permatang Pauh by-election held on 26 August 2008