The Mahathir Legacy

The former prime minister of Malaysia continues to make the news. Here is something from an article on the BBC:

"For more than two decades he single-mindedly drove Malaysia towards industrial development through a combination of large scale state intervention (such as launching pet projects like Proton) and by building a coterie of favoured businessmen to whom were handed government projects and lucrative monopolies."

Compare this with his successor:

"Abdullah Badawi broke with Dr Mahathir's penchant for mega-projects to concentrate on problems like rural poverty and education while rebuilding institutions debased during his predecessor's tenure - the police, the judiciary and the civil service."

Which ruler do you think is the better one?

Apparently, things are reaching a crescendo with the ex-prime minister challenging his successor. Mahathir boleh! Heh.

"The joke doing the rounds in Malaysia at the moment is that Mahathir Mohamad is suffering from PPMS - Post Prime Ministerial Syndrome.

The symptoms, say the wags, include irritability, emotional outbursts and a tendency to criticise everything and everyone. "

*Proton is a national car company in a protected car industry. It is generally not competitive and is reliant on 'dated' automobile technology from Mitsubishi.