Mahathir bin Mohamad

Mahathir bin Mohamad (December 20, 1925, Alor Setar) has been the prime minister of Malaysia since 1981. He is best known for being an outspoken proponent of Asian values, a kind of authoritarian collectivism, as an alternative to American individualism and laissez-faire capitalism.

In 1964 bin Mohamad entered the Malaysian parliament as a member of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) party. He held several ministerial posts in the 1970s, including deputy prime minister beginning in 1976.

As prime minister, Bin Mohamad has endorsed and encouraged Malaysia's recent rapid development as a regional high-tech manufacturing, financial. and telecommunications hub. Bin Mohamad consciously guided this process through his policies of economic nationalism. However, he is also seen as a political "strongman", and has been criticised for his authoritarian policies and use of state power to suppress opponents.

Bin Mohamad is the author of the following titles:

• The Pacific Rim in the 21st Century: Alliances and Collaborations in the Asia-Pacific (1995)
• The Challenges of Turmoil (1998)
• A New Deal for Asia (1999)
• Islam & The Muslim Ummah (2001)
• Globalisation and the New Realities (2002)
• Reflections on Asia (2002)

Bin Mohamad is a doctor by profession. He is married and has seven children.

External links

• Prime minister's home page (http://www.pmo.gov.my/website/webdb.nsf/Eng+Main+Frameset?OpenFrameSet)