Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times Book

This is a good book on Mahathir's career as Prime Minister and recalcitrant pensioner. It chronicles his rise, fall and rise in Malaysian politics. It also details the unabashed hypocrisy he practised throughout his life. Mahathir opposed foreign troops in Malaysia but secretly made deals with the US and allowed their soldiers to train in Malaysian jungles. Mahathir complained about an unfair press when he was 'blacked out' during Abdullah's premiership but he seem to have forgotten the draconian measures he took to stifle press freedom when he himself was PM. He preached to fight corruption but did nothing when his associates were rumoured to have been less than honest financially. It is made even more disgusting when during the bouts of hypocrisy, Mahathir also presents himself as the champion of downtrodden Muslims everywhere.

Malaysia under Mahathir transformed from a poor nation to a developing nation with hopes of turning into a developed one by 2020. However, the Malaysia we live in today is also in a mess socially, financially, morally and politically mainly because of Mahathir's determined drive for modernisation at all costs and to hell with the consequences.