Mahathir Mohamad is a Malaysian politician who is the seventh Prime Minister of Malaysia. He had also previously been the prime minister from 1981 to 2003. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is one of the most respected political figures in Malaysia. During his previous tenure as the prime minister, he formulated policies that helped businesses flourish and made education easily available to the people of the country. He led the country through a fast-paced modernisation drive that earned Malaysia international recognition as an industrial powerhouse.
Under his leadership, several mega infrastructure-projects took place, notably the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC), PETRONAS Twin Towers, and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Tun Dr Mahathir opened Malaysia to foreign investments, reduced international trade barriers, privatised government services, as well as established world-class physical infrastructure. During Tun Dr Mahathir’s tenure as Prime Minister, Malaysia became one of the most prosperous and dynamic economies in Southeast Asia, with a thriving industry, growing middle class, and increased quality of life. Malaysia also played a more active role in the international arena, acting as a voice for developing countries in Asia and Africa. Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is also remembered for Vision 2020, a framework for making Malaysia a developed nation by the year 2020. For his achievements, he is regarded as Malaysia’s "Father of Modernisation".
In 2016, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad set up a new political party to challenge the National Front. In 2018, making a stunning political comeback at the age of 93, the coalition he led won the general elections and he was elected as Malaysia’s 7th Prime Minister.
