Marhaen Dan Rakyat

Thirty four years ago, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad introduced Vision 2020, a bold roadmap to transform Malaysia into a developed nation. Over two decades, he presided over the country’s dramatic economic transformation, shifting the country from agriculture and resource dependency to industrialization, high-tech manufacturing, and rapid urban development. His mega-projects, from the Petronas Twin Towers to the North-South Expressway, became symbols of a nation that could stand toe to toe with the metropolises of the West. Under Mahathir, Malaysia’s GDP rose impressively, and infrastructure development brought tangible improvements to generations of Malaysians. But beneath the glistening towers of Kuala Lumpur lay a system that privileged certain groups over others. Mahathir’s economic model was deeply tied to the idea of Bumiputera empowerment, preferential policies for Malays and other associated indigenous groups, which, while lifting some into the middle class, also marginalized Chi...

Dr Mahathir Mohamad has once again ruffled feathers in Sarawak — and this time, it’s clear he hasn’t learned much. In a recent interview, the former prime minister warned Sarawak not to “seize control” of its oil and gas from Petronas and said any demands for more autonomy should be brought to Parliament — not “settled behind closed doors.” He even suggested Sarawak was poor under British rule, so they should be thankful things have improved. Seriously? These kinds of remarks aren’t just outdated — they’re insulting. And for Sarawakians, they’re nothing new. Mahathir’s track record with Sarawak has always been marked by top-down control, centralised policies, and little understanding of East Malaysia’s unique history and needs. His recent comments just put an exclamation mark on that legacy. Let’s not forget — Mahathir led Malaysia for more than two decades. And during that time, federal power became more and more concentrated on the Peninsular. For Sarawak and Sabah, that meant less a...

In his twilight years, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the 99-year-old former Prime Minister of Malaysia, seems content with spending his last days being an internet troll obsessed with his former protege, current Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. It's become like clockwork, as when Anwar says A, Mahathir must come out to say no, it's not A, it's B. This has become so routine that even Mahathir, the neoliberal champion of Malaysia in the 1980s and 1990s, has sought to position himself as a champion of people with low incomes as if he were a socialist icon, just because equitable share of wealth has become a key pillar for Anwar's administration. However, this self-portrayal is steeped in hypocrisy, given his long history of cultivating the conditions he now claims to criticize. The irony of his self-proclaimed role as a champion for the underprivileged is stark, inviting a critical view of his actions. As the architect of Malaysia's economic policies for over two decades, he is of...