Mahathir bin Mohamad Quotes (18 quotes)

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The Malay Dilemma

Mahathir bin Mohamad

Mahathir bin Mohamad: 18 quotes 0 likes

Famous Mahathir bin Mohamad Quotes

“To be known you have to be a little bit nasty. In any case, I'm nasty only toward governments. I'm not nasty towards business people.”

Mahathir bin Mohamad

As quoted by The Financial Review, 19 November 1993.
Malaysian Politicians Say the Darndest Things [Vol I]

“We will shoot [any Vietnamese migrants] on sight.”

Mahathir bin Mohamad

on how Malaysia would deal with refugees from Vietnam fleeing the Sino-Vietnamese War.
Malaysian Politicians Say the Darndest Things [Vol I]

“We need an opposition to remind us if we are making mistakes. When you are not opposed you think everything you do is right.”

Mahathir bin Mohamad

Source: December 2005. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/12/11/nation/12838957&sec=nation

“This country stands out like a sore thumb trying to impose its European values in Asia as if the good old days when people can shoot aborigines without caring about human rights.”

Mahathir bin Mohamad

on Australia and its perceived political interference in Southeast Asia.
Malaysian Politicians Say the Darndest Things [Vol I]

“We also do not call each other "Bapak This" or "Bapak That, not like in the past. We now only hear people calling "Bapak" (father) at home.”

Mahathir bin Mohamad

Malaysian Politicians Say the Darndest Things [Vol I]

“Even if I were to kiss and hug Anwar Ibrahim in public, they will say there is a rift because this is what they want to see.”

Mahathir bin Mohamad

Malaysian Politicians Say the Darndest Things [Vol I]

Mahathir bin Mohamad Quotes about people

“It is disgraceful that you should be used by adults for the purpose of trying to shame us … The timber industry helps hundreds of thousands of poor people in Malaysia. Are they supposed to remain poor because you want to study tropical animals? Is your study more important than filling the stomachs of poor people? Are Malaysians expected to lose millions of pounds so that you can study animals? […] I hope you will tell the adults who made use of you to learn all the facts. They should not be too arrogant and know how best to run a country…”

Mahathir bin Mohamad

Letter to Darrel Abercrombie in 1987, quoted at Free Malaysia Today http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/04/19/a-tale-of-two-ms-mahathir-and-margaret/

“"We (Muslims) are actually very strong. 1.3 billion people cannot be simply wiped out. The Europeans killed 6 million Jews out of 12 million. But today the Jews rule the world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them." - Oct. 16, 2003, in speech to a summit of 57 Islamic countries.”

Mahathir bin Mohamad

“We (Muslims) are actually very strong. 1.3 billion people cannot be simply wiped out. The Europeans killed 6 million Jews out of 12 million. But today the Jews rule the world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them.”

Mahathir bin Mohamad

Oct. 16, 2003, in speech to a summit of 57 Islamic countries.

Mahathir bin Mohamad Quotes

“We must rid ourselves of Najib as prime minister”

Mahathir bin Mohamad

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's move to oust Prime Minister Najib Razak, quote above read from a joint statement endorsed by heavyweights from the ruling party, opposition, and top civil society groups, quoted on Channel News Asia, "Dr Mahathir movement will be bad for country: Malaysia Foreign Affairs Minister" http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/dr-mahathir-movement-will/2575782.html, March 5, 2016.
Context: We call upon all Malaysians, irrespective of race, religion, political situation, creed or parties, young and old, to join us in saving Malaysia from the government headed by Najib Razak. We must rid ourselves of Najib as prime minister. If he’s allowed to go on, the damage will be worse and worse.

“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 bin Mohamad book The Malay Dilemma

1970 book, "The Malay Dilemma."

“What concerns me right now is that with the actions of Dr Mahathir, who is a lauded statesman and a beloved international icon, the country could become unstable, driving away foreign investors from this nation at the same time. As a former Prime Minister, he should be more understanding of what democracy is, which cannot be achieved the way Dr Mahathir is going about it now.”

Mahathir bin Mohamad

Malaysia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Anifah Aman said in a statement on Saturday (Mar 5) that he was both surprised and disappointed with Dr Mahathir, quoted on Channel News Asia, "Dr Mahathir movement will be bad for country: Malaysia Foreign Affairs Minister" http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/dr-mahathir-movement-will/2575782.html, March 5, 2016.

Way , Democracy , Understanding , Time

“To be a great leader, one needs to have good strategies, be knowledgeable and able to predict the future.”

Mahathir bin Mohamad

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/110479

Knowledge , Future

“I believe that the country should have a strong government but not too strong. A two-thirds majority like I enjoyed when I was prime minister is sufficient but a 90% majority is too strong.”

Mahathir bin Mohamad

December 2005, on his successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's Parliamentary majority of 92%. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/12/11/nation/12838957&sec=nation

Strong , Country

“When one is short, one should stand on a box to get a better view. The Twin Towers is [sic] to our ego what the box is to the shorties.”

Mahathir bin Mohamad

Clearly Islam the religion is not the cause of terrorism. Islam, as I said, is a religion of peace. However through the centuries, deviations from the true teachings of Islam take place. And so [people who call themselves] "Muslims" kill despite the injunction of their religion against killing especially of innocent people.

Malaysian Politicians Say the Darndest Things [Vol I]

Box

“He has no close friends that I know of.”

Mahathir bin Mohamad

Daim Zainuddin, as quoted in <i>Malaysian Politicians Say the Darndest Things</i>, Vol I https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9789834359607.

“I believe that if that bastard leaves, we then won't be bastardised.”

Mahathir bin Mohamad

in reference to Prime Minister Najib Razak during a speech at Pasir Gudang http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFd_fCF5CdM on 29 August 2015. Previously, Najib Razak had warned that Malaysian Malays would be "bastardised" were UMNO to lose power in the government, raising controversy by using a swear word (Malay "bangsat", loosely translated as "anus") in his speech.