The book Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times is about the Malaysian Prime minister Mahathir Mohamad and his political journey in times of disturbance. The author Barry Wain talks tries to explore various aspects of Mahathir Mohamad’s personality.
According to Wain Mahathir one hand being a Malayan Heroic figure was a fiercely tireless campaigner on the other who advocated against the domination by the Western economy. The author expounds the unknown persona of Mahathir by this book by the series of exhaustive interviews he had with him.
The author says that there is much more yet to be known in his personality rather than just what he has always presented himself in the outer world and the entire world’s perceives about him.
The issue that catches attention in this book is about the assertion that around RM100 billion may have been wasted like water on huge projects undertaken by Mahathir in order to engineer the modern Malaysia we see today by revolutionizing industries and underneath these projects also accompanied corruption.
Wain also writes that Malaysia was left handicapped due to its national car policy thus making Thailand the major center for car manufacturing.
The author portrays a very balanced description by throwing light on the fact that though the Malaysian Maverick directed all his plans towards the notion of modern, industrialized and globally respected nation of Malaysia for which he even directed the ruling party into business but this accelerated corruption as party’s nature and goals changed. Consequently this led to massive financial scandals. Though involvement of Mahathir in any of this corruption is not confirmed anywhere yet all these disturbances left him unapologetic.
The author concludes in the final chapters of his book that despite of these turbulences and confusions Mahathir created the very nation that he dreamt about that is the modern industrialized Malaysia with its iconic twin towers. Although the corruption that accompanied the process of transformation of Malaysia has much to blame on Mahathir only due to his dissolution of independent judiciary but still he proved to be true to the title given to him as The Malaysian Maverick.
Mahathir, as he himself confessed to the author says that even today he has resentment towards the west, the British in particular. The author writes about this exhaustively that this very antagonism against the British has been a hallmark of his career.
This book thus captures Mahathir Mohamad, the PM of Malaysia for 22 years in true unbiased light, highlighting his true personality and the political situations that Malaysia went through to be what it is today. For all those who would like to explore this Malaysian Maverick and his nation must get started as this is an appreciable piece of work.
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