Mahathir Mohamad, 97, on why Malaysia still needs him: ‘I’m still functional, I can still move around, make speeches’
- The two-time leader says he is standing for election because of the people’s will and a desire to block former protégé Najib Razak from retaking power
- Younger generations need to work to address growing wealth disparity, poor economic management and a weakening education system, Mahathir adds
“I don’t have to continue. In fact, I don’t want to continue,” he told This Week In Asia at his spacious office in the administrative capital of Putrajaya.
“But my own supporters felt that this should be my last effort because although I am 97 years old, I am still functional, I can still move around, be active, still debate and make speeches.
“They felt that I should still, for the last time, perhaps lead the party. I cannot deny them for selfish reasons. If I’m only thinking about myself, I will not be in politics now.”
02:24
97 year-old ex-PM Mahathir makes ‘last effort’ to serve in Malaysian politics
During his first 22-year tenure as prime minister from 1981 to 2003, Mahathir rose to international fame, or infamy, depending on who you ask.
Malaysia’s Syed Saddiq eyes battle of ideas as Muda seeks youth vote
But that was not before the scandal-haunted leader helped engineer a political coup dubbed the “Sheraton Move” in 2020 that saw the fall of the PH government and Umno returning to federal power, albeit in partnership with an Umno offshoot party and eventual PH turncoat, Bersatu.
If Najib is pardoned and charges against him are dropped, then he may become prime minister again
“If Najib is pardoned and charges against him are dropped, then he may become prime minister again and his reputation is very bad because he was the one who introduced the slogan ‘cash is king’,” Mahathir said.
“Which means he uses money in order to buy support. He has stolen lots of money running into billions of ringgit, and he used the ringgit in order to buy support. He believes with a lot of money, he can be a PM with majority support.”
Malaysia’s Najib Razak is in jail. He’s down, but is he out? Don’t count on it
Time for youth to rise?
But the push for political renewal by Mahathir – who has long had a penchant for new technologies and is considered Malaysia’s Father of Development – brings the inevitable question of the age of those who will steer the country forward.
When PH took over the government in 2018, the median age of the 222 members elected to parliament was 55.5 years, according to parliament data.
Mahathir, who in his youth was part of post-WWII political movements in the 1940s that eventually led to the formation of the country, acknowledged that “old people” like him should be making way for the nation’s youth.
But he remains unconvinced that the younger generations have what it takes to lead the country to greater heights.
“Yes, I think it is time that they become more prominent in the political field, but of course their lack of experience works against them,” Mahathir said.
‘Still angry’: as Malaysians lose faith in politics, will new faces offer hope?
Mahathir himself has long been accused by critics of standing in the way of youth and civil society growth.
During his first 22-year tenure as prime minister, hundreds of opposition politicians, social activists and journalists were detained under the now-defunct Internal Security Act, amid an acrimonious tussle for the Umno presidency between him and his contender, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.
He now concedes the space for youth to shine is cramped by the lack of opportunity afforded to them in Malaysia’s politics over the years – an issue which has a real political edge on November 19 as more than one million first-time voters between the ages of 18 and 20 are able to take part in the polls.
“It is difficult for them to show their ability because they are not actually leaders,” Mahathir said.
“But they must show in many other ways that they are very interested in the affairs of the nation and that they can contribute towards the setting up of better governance for this country.”
Developing talent
Mahathir was dismissive when asked if political parties should focus on fielding new and young faces across the board for this election.
Instead, he points to his experience as a touchstone for voters who want leaders with proven track records rather than unfamiliar faces advertising their potential.
And real experience is needed, he says, to tackle the big issues: growing wealth disparity, weak management of the economy and an education system that has fallen behind global trends.
Could the likes of Syed Saddiq and Rafizi Ramli shake up Malaysian politics?
Mahathir believes the old-timers need to step up and show the younger generation how to go about the business of leading a nation.
“Malaysia has got tremendous potential, but you have to recognise the potential and have to be able to manage the potential. That requires experience and some degree of knowledge of new technologies,” he said.
“I feel that I can at least advise the government on how to manage new technologies as well as how to realign our objectives so as to be in keeping with advances made in new technologies.”
