A biography for Mahathir Mohamadhasn’t been written yet.
“When I was first named as Deputy Prime Minister, there was a feeling of shock that I should be chosen because I was labeled as being an ultra and very anti-Chinese.”
“The Internet has played a major role in undermining public morality.”
“Airplanes don't just disappear - certainly not these days with all the powerful communication systems, radio and satellite tracking, and filmless cameras which operate almost indefinitely and possess huge storage capacities.”
“Affirmative action is not something that the World Bank believes in or promotes.”
“Sudden change, even if it is for the good, is disruptive.”
“All leaders must have some power. Without power, you can't be a leader.”
“I cannot accept this country being destroyed by selfish people who only think about themselves.”
“For me, to say I want to go to sleep and retire and prepare for my afterlife, I think that is very selfish.”
“As a doctor, you are out on call most nights, so you don't get continuous sleep, and that becomes something that is familiar to you. So, working hard doesn't bother me.”
“Corruption is found everywhere. I admit there is some corruption in my staff - not me.”
“Big corporations don't just belong to one person or two persons but to a whole nation. If you let big corporations fail, then a lot of people are going to suffer.”
“There is no such thing as absolute freedom of the press, not even in the most advanced countries in the world. There are things you just don't say, because it will destabilise the environment.”
“The government seems to be set on bankrupting Proton and selling it off, because I think it is regarded as my baby.”
“We all abhor terrorists, but we have to treat them as dangerous to all of us, not to any one particular country.”
“As far as Malaysia is concerned, Singapore is a foreign country.”
“In the eyes of the world, Malaysia has become a pariah state, a state where anyone can be hauled up and questioned by the police, detained, and charged through abusing laws of the country.”
“I don't care how sacred is freedom, but I think the time has come for governments, at least the Malaysian government, to censor the Internet.”
“I've had quite a long time in government, and I've learned a few things.”
“MH370 is a Boeing 777 aircraft. It was built and equipped by Boeing. All the communications and GPS equipment must have been installed by Boeing. If they failed or have been disabled, Boeing must know how it can be done.”
“Quite a few people who are in the media and in control of the big money seem to want to see these Southeast Asian countries - and, in particular, Malaysia - stop trying to catch up with their superiors and to know their place.”