Ex Prime Minister of Malaysia, Honorary President Perdana Leadership Foundation

Mahathir Mohamad was born on December 20, 1925 in the family of a school teacher in Alor Star (Kedah, Malaysia).

As per his words, his father's ancestors were of Indian origin (Kerala state), and his mother was Malayalee by race, born in Kedah. However Mahathir Mohamad considers himself to be Malay, and is known for the use of fiery rhetoric designed to invoke feelings of Malay.

In 1946 when he was 19 Mahathir joined the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) at its inception. In the organization he very soon became popular, after he published few articles, dedicated to the problems of women emancipation and Malay monarchy. Since that time his life was inseparably linked with UMNO - the leading social and political force in the country.

In 1953 he graduated from the Medical College in Singapore. There he met his future spouse - Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, with whom they in future brought up seven children (among them two - step children).

Mahathir Mohamad started his career lecturer in the University of Malaya. Later within 7 years Doctor M, as he was called in Malaysia, served as a medical officer in Kedah.

In 1964 Mahathir was elected Deputy of Parliament on behalf of UMNO. Since that time he actively took part in the political life of his country, acting as a fiery protector of aboriginal population's rights - Malay and Orang-Asli (bumiputra - general name).

In 1969 after publication of open letter to Tunku Abdul Rahman, the Prime Minister, criticizing insufficient attention to the needs of Malay people, Mahathir was subsequently relieved of his party membership and excluded from UMNO.

While in the political wilderness, Mahathir wrote his book, "The Malay Dilemma", in which he sought to explain his opinion on the country's development, Malay nationalism and anticolonialism. The book aroused broad and ambiguous reaction in Malaysian society and for certain time even was banned. 

At the same time his ideology was positively understood by the young generation of UMNO leaders, who invited doctor M to join the party again.

In 1974 Mahathir became a Member of Parliament and appointed a Minister of Education.

Within next four year Mahathir Mohammed made a breath-taking career in the organization and became UNMO Deputy Chairman.

Winning authority as a strong leader in 1981 he became a 4^th Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Taking a post of the Government Head, Mahathir started realization of his ideas on conversion of Malaysia to the modern state with highly developed economy and independent internal and external policy, as well as making a society, based on Asian and Malay values. Actively penetrated course to positive ethnic discrimination, within the frames of the New Development Policy (1971-1990) and National Development Policy (1991-2000) enabled to increase the role of aborigines in the country's economy.

Under his leadership there was accepted the Strategy "Vision 2020", focused on the conversion of Malaysia to the modern hi tech state - first industrialized country in the Islamic world.

Doctor M recommended himself as a fiery and consistent critic of double standards of western countries and International Monetary Fund in the international policy and economy, and fighter for the rights of developing Asian and Islamic countries.

Activity of Mahathir Mohamad as a Malaysian Government Head deserves a high grade. In his memoirs "Singapore History" the founder of this island country Li Kuan Yu, who had polemics many times with Mahathir Mohamad, admits his qualities of a political leader: "He possessed determination and political support that allowed him overcoming prejudices of a crowd when it was required by the interests of the country. Mahathir was leading the Malay from lack of knowledge towards science and technology... he gave education to young Malay, provided them with the vision of the future based on the science and technologies".

In October 2003 Mahathir Mohamad left the post of the Prime-Minister and the Chairman UMNO having chosen Abdulla Ahmad Badaui as his assignee. In this regard it should be noted that recently Ì.Mohamad more often makes statements about the incorrectness of his choice blaming A.Badaui in the rejection of several key programs and projects adopted in the times of Mahathir.

At present Mahathir continues to take an active life position regularly participating in different local and international forums on important modern issues, meets with former and current politicians of the global level.

As recognition of contribution into the establishment and development of modern Malaysia, in 2003 Mahathir Mohamad received the highest honorable title - "Tun". This title is awarded only to a limited number of people, which must not exceed 25 at the same time.

Mahathir was also awarded with the governmental medal "Father of Modern Malaysia", "Prominent Surgeon of Malaysia", the Gold Medal for the contribution into development of the economy and technologies, Order of Friendship (the Russian Federation). He has the title of the honorable professor of the National State University of Kyrgyzstan, Honorable Citizen of Turkmenistan etc.  

He is the author of many publications - articles, books and speeches. The most popular are "The Role of Islam in the Modern World", "Globalization and New Realities", and "Challenge".

Ì.Mahathir is married to Citi Hasmah binti Mohammed Ali who also has the "Tun" title and is a doctor. They have seven children: Marina, Mirzan, Melinda, Mokzani, Mukriz, Maizura and Mazhar.

Mahathir has rather various hobbies. He loves horse riding, car and motor racing. Particularly, he was amongst the first to have the idea of arranging "Formula-1" in Malaysia. He reads a lot and writes books; he is keen on wood cutting.