Search result for: "Mahathir Mohamed"

BANGKOK, Thailand-Since the Anwar administration came to power, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has been extremely busy since the chief commissioner Azam Baki made a visit to Anwar’s office with a bunch of files, soon after Anwar was sworn in as PM.

BANGKOK, Thailand-The recent appointment of Anwar Ibrahim’s daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar as economic advisor to her father as prime minister has tapped into deep emotion and even ridicule this week.

BANGKOK, Thailand--There is more than meets the eye to the Anwar Ibrahim and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi relationship.

SACRAMENTO, U.S.--Malaysia’s legal system is under severe challenge from followers of former Prime Minister Najib, who want him freed via royal pardon from a sentence of 12 years in prison on seven counts of abuse of power, money laundering, and criminal breach of trust for steering millions of dollars into his own pockets from an offshoot of the failed 1Malaysia Development Bhd. investment fund, which collapsed in 2016 from mismanagement and corruption.

BANGKOK, Thailand--Malaysia is currently suffering multiple crises, all at the same time.

BANGKOK, Thailand--There has been much discussion about the existence of a deep state within Malaysia. This essay looks at its components. The deep state is not a unified and coordinated mechanism. It is heterogeneous and diverse. It is probably only bound together by a common narrative, sometimes interpreted differently. At different points of time, different aspects of this deep state exercise more power over the others. Other times, there is even conflict between the various elements.

BANGKOK, Thailand--When Malaysia faced the Asian economic crisis back in 1997, the then Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamed called on his old friend Tun Daim Zainuddin to head the National Economic Action Council (NEAC) set up under the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) to find a solution through the National Economic Recovery Plan (NERP). 

BANGKOK, Thailand--While everyone is focused on the electoral battle now going on in Johor, there is another much more important clandestine battle going on. This is the battle for UMNO leadership.

BANGKOK, Thailand--The shortage of McDonald’s French fries earlier this month in Malaysia is symbolic of a much bigger national problem. Many food items are in short supply and subject to rapidly rising prices. 

BANGKOK, Thailand--The coming Johor State Election to take place on 12th March will most probably redefine the Malaysian electoral landscape. 

BANGKOK, Thailand--The term robber baron was originally made aware to me by educator and writer Dr Azly Rahman. Robber baron is a derogative US term to describe how the powerful 19th Century American industrialists and financiers made fortunes by monopolizing industries through engaging in unethical business practices, exploiting workers, and paying little heed to the law. 

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--As students, workers, and family members are being continuously and unfairly kept out of Japan, we decided to hold a peaceful demonstration in front of the Embassy of Japan in Malaysia. 

BANGKOK, Thailand--The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was formally created by the foreign ministers of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippine, Singapore, and Thailand, on the 8th August 1967.

BANGKOK, Thailand--With the United Malays National Organisation, or UMNO back in political power with a firm and dominating position to the other Malay-centric political parties, kleptocratic practises are on the rise once again.  

BANGKOK, Thailand--Malaysia was once a harmonious society, where the different ethnic groups coexisted with a sense of community, and each ethnic group once openly celebrated festivals together. All the ethnic groups were free to express their cultures, and practice their religions without interference. Malaysia had a strong and stable government with a working multi-racial coalition. All of the nation’s citizens were once proud to be Malaysian.

After nearly 75 years in public life, the political career of Mahathir Mohamed appears to be drawing to a close at age 96. As he becomes less relevant amid the country’s current fevered political manoeuvring, it is time to look at what the last four years, with 20 months as prime minister once again, did for his legacy.