Mahathir Mohamad Quotes

I expect every prime minister to have his own imprint.

- Mahathir Mohamad

I believe that every leader has a right to implement his own policy. But when I see things that are done that are not right - abuse of power, wrong approaches, wrong strategies, making use of foreign consultants, including those discarded by other countries - I feel that I have to have my say.

- Mahathir Mohamad

The thinning of the ozone layer is blamed on logging of tropical forests. The fact that the burning of fossil fuels and release of CFCs (chloro-fluoro-carbons) into the atmosphere occur largely in the rich countries are significantly ignored.

- Mahathir Mohamad

As far as Malaysia is concerned, Singapore is a foreign country.

- Mahathir Mohamad

I am the first authoritarian government elected to become a dictator and then resigning as a dictator. So this is the first dictator in the world who has resigned while still quite healthy.

- Mahathir Mohamad

We say less things about Australians than Australians say about us, calling me a dictator, authoritarian government.

- Mahathir Mohamad

When developing countries go to the WTO and register their protest over things, they should be heard. Their views should be considered by the rich countries.

- Mahathir Mohamad

Free press is not absolute. In this country, we say clearly if you start stirring up racial hatred, then we will put a stop to it. We might even close down your paper, because these things can only lead to a lot of riots and bloodshed.

- Mahathir Mohamad

Sudden change, even if it is for the good, is disruptive.

- Mahathir Mohamad

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.

- Mahathir Mohamad

When the British ruled Malaysia, they burnt millions of acres of Malaysian forests so that they could plant rubber.

- Mahathir Mohamad

I want to leave UMNO because it is no longer UMNO. It is a party dedicated to supporting Mr. Najib, to protecting Mr. Najib, to upholding whatever it is that he does, including some of the wrong things that he has done. I cannot be a member of such a party.

- Mahathir Mohamad

We can go into the Chinese market, develop the engine, new models of cars. Proton can compete. What is the point of giving the company to foreigners? It will revert to the same situation where foreigners just assemble their cars here. We learn nothing.

- Mahathir Mohamad

A heretic can be tolerated. But a heresy cannot.

- Mahathir Mohamad

Affirmative action is not something that the World Bank believes in or promotes.

- Mahathir Mohamad

When the planes crashed into the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001, Bush immediately identified what he thought was the true cause. It was because the Muslims were jealous of the freedom of the American people. It was because the Muslims were poor. This exposes a lack of understanding of things on his part.

- Mahathir Mohamad

I'm basically a creature of habit - I do practically the same thing every week, every day of every week: I go to the office, I meet people, I write, I read, and, of course, I give lectures.

- Mahathir Mohamad

I achieved too little result from my principal task, the task of making my race a race that is respected, a race that is honourable, a race that is highly regarded.

- Mahathir Mohamad

It is always the right of the mighty which prevails over the weak, and that is very primitive.

- Mahathir Mohamad

It would seem the people who want to preserve the Penans' way of life are condemning them to a life full of diseases and a shorter life span.

- Mahathir Mohamad

Whenever I am asked who I admire most among the leaders I have met, I have no hesitation in naming Nelson Mandela.

- Mahathir Mohamad

I won't call it UMNO anymore; this is Najib's party. I feel embarrassed that I am associated with a party that is seen as supporting corruption - it had caused me to feel ashamed.

- Mahathir Mohamad

We have had dealings with terrorists for a long time. From 1948 until 1990, we had domestic terrorism because the pro-communist groups wanted to overthrow the colonial government.

- Mahathir Mohamad

Why do I want to remove Najib? I should have thought the whole world would know. This man steals money. Not a few hundred dollars, not a few thousand dollars - he stole billions of dollars, and that has been verified by investigations here in Malaysia and the U.S.

- Mahathir Mohamad

You can be a liberal and accept same-sex marriage and all that, but that's your business.

- Mahathir Mohamad

When the people perceive that the print media is reporting what they believe is correct, then they tend to read the print media and to follow news on the television.

- Mahathir Mohamad

When the people believe that the print media and the government-controlled TV are not really reporting what is happening, then people turn away from them, and their next resort is, of course, to access the Internet and what they can get on the Internet.

- Mahathir Mohamad

Malaysia is particularly sensitive: we have three races here and 29 different tribes. If you allow people to say what they like, there will be violence, confrontations, and all that. We need stability.

- Mahathir Mohamad

The Malays are spiritually inclined, tolerant, and easy-going. The non-Malays, and especially the Chinese, are materialistic, aggressive, and have an appetite for work. For equality to come about, it is necessary that these strikingly contrasting races adjust to each other.

- Mahathir Mohamad

Democracy for people who are not used to it can undermine stability, resulting in war.

- Mahathir Mohamad

The Chinese are welcome to invest in industries in Malaysia. But just as we would not welcome mass immigration of Indians or Pakistanis or Europeans or Africans into Malaysia, we have to adopt the same stance on Chinese immigration into Malaysia.

- Mahathir Mohamad

Most Americans, I think, know very little about East Asia or Southeast Asia. American businesspeople who have been here, they are very knowledgeable about this area, but the average American? No.

- Mahathir Mohamad

There are certain things that we can deal with by following the rules. But at times, we find the rules restrict you from doing the right things. On such occasions, we have to rethink - either you change the rules or break the rules.

- Mahathir Mohamad

I resigned on my own, and during my time, the country enjoyed a period of great prosperity.

- Mahathir Mohamad

I've had quite a long time in government, and I've learned a few things.

- Mahathir Mohamad

A lawyer wants to get his client off the hook. And even if he knows the client is guilty, he is going to find ways and means of getting him off the hook.

- Mahathir Mohamad

There's no point in treating a currency like a commodity, devaluing it artificially and causing a lot of poverty among poor countries.

- Mahathir Mohamad

I assume that people react to things as I would react. For example, if you are nice to people, they should be nice to you.

- Mahathir Mohamad

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.

- Mahathir Mohamad

Malaysia has got all the things in place to continue growth: the policies are there; the mechanisms are there. So, I think even when I am not around, Malaysia can do with other people who are converse with our policies.

- Mahathir Mohamad

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.

- Mahathir Mohamad

Doctors look after me. But, basically, I look after myself. I don't overeat. I don't develop a big paunch. I do a little bit of exercise. At the same time, I believe that if you don't work, you will decay. The decay process is through not using your faculties - not using your brain, not using your body.

- Mahathir Mohamad

I am glad to be labeled anti-Semitic.

- Mahathir Mohamad

Jewish stinginess and financial wizardry gained them commercial control of Europe and provoked anti-Semitism, which waxed and waned in Europe throughout the ages.

- Mahathir Mohamad

I was forced to say, 'I will not censor the Internet.' But I was never convinced.

- Mahathir Mohamad

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.

- Mahathir Mohamad

We believe that human rights always applies to the majority, who should have its rights protected. When people demonstrate and go to the streets, they deprive the majority from earning a living.

- Mahathir Mohamad

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.

- Mahathir Mohamad

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.

- Mahathir Mohamad

Being a medical practitioner enables me to get in touch with people, understand their problems, feel sympathetic towards them, and the natural thing is to want to help them, and if you become a politician and if you are successful, you can help them even more.

- Mahathir Mohamad

A country without engineering skill and knowledge will never become a developed country.

- Mahathir Mohamad

We all abhor terrorists, but we have to treat them as dangerous to all of us, not to any one particular country.

- Mahathir Mohamad

For me, to say I want to go to sleep and retire and prepare for my afterlife, I think that is very selfish.

- Mahathir Mohamad

It is not true at all that a free market will ensure a democracy. It doesn't. There must be a balance between a free market and some regulations which are essential in order to safeguard the interests of consumers and of people in general.

- Mahathir Mohamad

I believe that currency trading should not be a business at all.

- Mahathir Mohamad

I am saying that currency trading is unnecessary, unproductive, and immoral. It should be stopped. It should be made illegal.

- Mahathir Mohamad

In Malaysia, trials have always been fair.

- Mahathir Mohamad

Justice is the most important thing. In a plural society like Malaysia, you cannot have two laws - one law for the Muslim, one law for the non-Muslim.

- Mahathir Mohamad

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.

- Mahathir Mohamad

Looking back now, I realise why, as prime minister of Malaysia, I was described as a dictator. There were many things I did which were typically dictatorial.

- Mahathir Mohamad

I don't believe that you should punish the people of Iraq because you don't like their leader. Saddam Hussein is not being punished. He's fat, and he is eating enough food and living in palaces. But his people are punished by denying them food and medicine.

- Mahathir Mohamad

If Australia wants to be a friend of Asia, it should stop behaving as if it is there to teach us how to run our country.

- Mahathir Mohamad

Not many dictators announce their resignation, but I did because I didn't want to stay on and overstay my welcome.

- Mahathir Mohamad

Independence means we enjoy freedom. We are not colonised by people. And we can govern our own country and develop it independently so that our people can live a better life.

- Mahathir Mohamad

If you want to be honest with yourself, you have to take criticism, even if you attract adverse comments from others.

- Mahathir Mohamad

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.

- Mahathir Mohamad

I am not anti-European. I have many friends and acquaintances who are Europeans.

- Mahathir Mohamad

Corruption is found everywhere. I admit there is some corruption in my staff - not me.

- Mahathir Mohamad

If the countries of Europe and of North America can be almost uniformly prosperous, we don't see why we cannot be allowed to be a little prosperous.

- Mahathir Mohamad

Forcing some countries to accept democracy is something that should not be done.

- Mahathir Mohamad

The West only talks about how you can militarily defeat the terrorists, but terrorists are very difficult to defeat because they can appear anywhere.

- Mahathir Mohamad

If we keep on raking up the past, you can never work with anybody. You will always be fighting against your enemies, and that is bad.

- Mahathir Mohamad

I'm followed everywhere - it has become normal for me.

- Mahathir Mohamad

I don't care much whether people remember me or not. If people remember, well and good. If they don't remember, it's alright - I'm dead anyway.

- Mahathir Mohamad

Suppose a part of Britain or a part of America was taken away and given to the Jews as Israel. Do you think the Americans are going to sit quietly and say 'Welcome,' and all that? They won't.

- Mahathir Mohamad

In my years, I had the opportunity to observe peoples and countries. I see some countries doing well, others failing, and my analysis of things is that whether you fail or succeed is a function of your value system.

- Mahathir Mohamad

We want to defend the rights of Malaysians. We don't want to sell chunks of this country to foreign companies who will develop whole towns.

- Mahathir Mohamad

The government seems to be set on bankrupting Proton and selling it off, because I think it is regarded as my baby.

- Mahathir Mohamad

In Asia, we live within our means. So when we are poor, we live as poor people. I think that is a lesson that Europe can learn from Asia.

- Mahathir Mohamad

The Jews are not merely hook-nosed but understand money instinctively.

- Mahathir Mohamad

Australia is not a safe place.

- Mahathir Mohamad

The Internet is undermining moral values.

- Mahathir Mohamad

The Internet has played a major role in undermining public morality.

- Mahathir Mohamad

When you are in the government, you have to demonise your opposition.

- Mahathir Mohamad

I cannot accept this country being destroyed by selfish people who only think about themselves.

- Mahathir Mohamad

The biggest mistake that I have made in my life is choosing Najib.

- Mahathir Mohamad

I know I'm not popular with all the people. Remember, I am 'cruel' or a 'pharaoh.' That's all right. In politics, you get called all types of names.

- Mahathir Mohamad

The little Napoleons in UMNO try to keep out people who are more intelligent than themselves.

- Mahathir Mohamad

The West is very impatient. You want overnight change.

- Mahathir Mohamad

When you have a prime minister who is corrupt, then you can be sure that a country cannot be anything else but corrupt.

- Mahathir Mohamad

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.

- Mahathir Mohamad

Money is not something you just print. It must be backed by something, either good economy or gold.

- Mahathir Mohamad

Jews rule the world by proxy.

- Mahathir Mohamad

If you look at the Malaysian media, you will find that, although some are supportive of the government, many are not, and they are very critical of the government.

- Mahathir Mohamad

Planning means looking ahead.

- Mahathir Mohamad

Running a democratic country is one of the most difficult things for any government.

- Mahathir Mohamad