Mahathir, Malaysia's Autocratic Modernizer, Steps Down

[Darranar]

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Oct. 31 — Asia's longest-serving leader, Mahathir Mohamad, stepped down Friday, leaving a legacy of a modern Muslim nation that he molded on the back of often autocratic rule and the use of tirades — often anti-Western and anti-Semitic — intended to create national cohesiveness.

Dr. Mahathir, 77, better known on the international stage for his crude outbursts than his economic and political accomplishments at home, handed power to a handpicked successor, Abdullah Badawi, 63, in a televised ceremony in the new government capital, Putrajaya.

During his 22 years as prime minister, Dr. Mahathir managed to forge a nation out of a disparate ethnic mix of a Malay majority and Chinese and Indian minorities. Unlike the bloody ends of the reigns of Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines and General Suharto of Indonesia, two other strongmen of his era, his departure, announced 16 months ago, was peaceful.

Dr. Mahathir transformed an economy dependent on tin, rubber and palm oil into one of the major trading nations of Southeast Asia and the exporter of most of the world's Dell laptop computers and Intel high-end processors.

NYTimes

[rini]

1. and your point?

— Asia's longest-serving leader, Mahathir Mohamad, stepped down Friday, leaving a legacy of a modern Muslim nation that he molded on the back of often autocratic rule and the use of tirades — often anti-Western and anti-Semitic — intended to create national cohesiveness.

so did Hitler

[Darranar]

2. Why does every thread I post have to have a point?

I noticed that no thread had yet been started on this news, so I started one.

I wanted to inform, not to make a point.

[Violet_Crumble]

3. But it did have a point...

Mahathir stepped down, which was the obvious point of the article you posted, and despite what rini might think, is newsworthy...

His successor has very loud and obnoxious shoes to fill and I hope he's up to the job. If nothing else, Mahathir's attacks were amusing to read and having been reading them for years now, I think I'll miss them. Let's hope Megawati bursts out of her shell and gives us all a steady stream of obnoxious and racist comments in the future so I won't miss Mahathir's offerings so much! ;)

Violet...

[sushi]

5. Indonesia's President

Megawati will never "burst out of her shell." She's Javanese, and they smile politely, but you don't know where you stand. With the Javanese it is almost bad manners to disagree, and when you do disagree it's bad manners to be direct. Dr Mahathir at least speaks his mind. He is also totally against Islamic fundamentalism. Hopefully, with his help, the new leader, Abdullah Badawi, will lead their party (UMNO) to victory in next year's election against the fundamentalists, the opposition Muslim party (PAS).
I think if Badawi wasn't up to the job Mahathir wouldn't have picked him to be deputy.

[cliss]

4. "whew", back at the WH,

they wipe the perspiration from their forehead. "This guy was starting to cause us some serious trouble". They feel relieved that he's gone.

I would expect, knowing that this man is outspoken and very opinionated, that he won't fade into the woodwork just yet. Count on him continuing to voice his opinions.

So they shouldn't clink their champagne glasses together just yet.

[sushi]

6. You are correct

He is gone but not gone! We will definitely hear from him. He is respected in the Muslim world, and can now speak freely.

Most Malaysians like Mahathir, even the minorities (Chinese and Indians), and agree with Pakistan's leader, Pervez Musharraf, that he has become public property and should continue to contribute to the nation and the Muslim world.

I don't understand how he coud cause the people in the WH some serious trouble.

[ForestsBeatBushes]

7. His speech to the Council of Islamic Nations wasn't free enough for you?