Dr Mahathir Set To Publish 'Thriller'

Malaysia's former prime minister Mahathir Mohammad has finished writing his memoirs and the book could become a "thriller" when it is published.

Mukhriz Mahathir, son of Malaysia's longest-serving leader, told Gulf News the book will cover both public and private sides of his father.

During his rule, the outspoken leader often riled major Western countries with his criticism of their policies and became known for his advocacy of Asian values.

Mahathir's comments were sometimes seen as controversial. He told a conference of Islamic leaders in 2003 that "Jews rule the world by proxy" and "get others to fight and die for them."

Bold reflection

The forthcoming memoirs are promised to be a bold reflection on his experience as prime minister for 22 years. "It will be published soon. It is going to be a thriller," Mukhriz said. There has been some delay in publication because when Mahathir reads his memoirs "he feels he wants to say some more."

Mahathir, born in 1925, underwent a second heart bypass surgery in September last year and has kept a low profile in public life since his retirement in 2003.

He oversaw Malaysia's transformation from a producer of primary commodities into a wealthy industrialised nation when he left the prime minister's office. Previous works by Mahathir have tackled political, economic and national issues. They include A New Deal for Asia, Terrorism and Real Issues, and Globalisation and the New Realities.

In the Malaysian Currency Crisis, Mahathir explained how Malaysia overcame the Asian currency crisis in 1998 which wounded what were then known as southeast Asia's "tiger" economies, including Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.

In the controversial Malay Dilemma, written in 1970, he analyses Malaysian society in terms of race and criticises his own people for a lack of progress. (Gulf News)
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