# Talk:Mahathir Mohamad

It seems odd to me that this section of the article is titled "Allegations of antisemitism," rather than something like "Antisemitic comments" or just "Antisemitism." Saying that Mahathir has only been "accused" of antisemitism, saying that he has "allegations" of antisemitism seems a bit too close to whitewashing the comments listed in this section. These well-documented and repeated comments all rely on blatantly antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories, up to and including Holocaust denial. Mahathir has himself said he is proud to have been called an antisemite. I would understand using the word "allegations" in the section heading if it was just one event or if he only used mildly antisemitic tropes, but Mahathir's antisemitic comments have been frequent and extreme and have been made throughout his political career. Wouldn't it be reasonable for us to rename this section? WiJaMa (talk) 03:55, 10 November 2023 (UTC)

@WiJaMa: I wouldn't be against this, as long as the sources in this section reflect this wording. If sources refer to Mahathir's antisemitism as "accusations" or "allegations" then we need to reflect this. Although I agree with you need to be mindful of WP:BLP and WP:NPOV. Arcahaeoindris (talk) 10:12, 15 November 2023 (UTC)
Most reputable sources do not outright refer to Mahathir as anti-semitic, but various Jewish and Zionist publications/groups have.
[1]UK Muslim leaders ‘inspired’ by antisemitic ex-Malaysian prime minister - The Jewish Chronicle, 2023
[2]'Anti-Semitic? I don't care': Mahathir lashes out at pro-Israel UK paper - Malaysia Now, 2023 ("Mahathir said he did not care if he was labelled "anti-Semitic", saying the Palestinian Arabs too are Semitic people.")
[3]A defiant Malaysian PM defends his anti-Semitism in the name of free speech - Times of Israel, 2019
[4]Malaysian PM Mahathir Confirms Himself as Oldest Anti-Semitic Leader in the World  - Simon Wiesenthal Center, 2018
[5]Mahathir unfazed by anti-semite tag - Al Jazeera, 2003 (“It cannot be business as usual as long as the head of Malaysia continues to validate the ugly racist hate of anti-Semitism that invites anti-Jewish hate crimes and terrorism”, is the quote that's relevant here) Sisuvia (talk) 18:41, 17 November 2023 (UTC)

Add his doctor title in his infobox 2400:4050:8841:EE00:A44B:6EB4:B144:B679 (talk) 03:17, 3 January 2024 (UTC)

Reverted an edit on this subject so will copy rationale here. People on Wikipedia generally do not have 'Dr' as a prefix, even if known by that title in common parlance, e.g., Dr Johnson (Samuel Johnson), Dr King (Martin Luther King, Jr.), Dr Livingstone David Livingstone. Even notable Malay doctors ─ Abu Bakar Suleiman, Wu Lien-teh have not the prefix. JJLiu112 (talk) 19:55, 3 March 2025 (UTC)

It focuses too much on Mahathir's political views and should be shortened. 218.208.8.79 (talk) 06:47, 2 November 2024 (UTC)

Mahathir's political views have shifted throughout his life, and are shaped by his Malay nationalism and Islamic religious beliefs. Initially, he was aligned with Third-Worldism in the 1980s and later advocated for "Asian values" and globalization. He has consistently maintained Islamic political views throughout his political career. He is revered in developing and Islamic nations for Malaysia's economic progress and support of liberal Muslim values. He also champions Malay nationalism, although he has evolved from supporting "Ketuanan Melayu" to advocating a "Bangsa Malaysia" that assimilates non-Malays into Malay culture, strictly rejecting multiculturalism. He criticizes neoliberalism and Western influence, controversially suggesting that the US government was involved in the 9/11 attacks and a group of international elites control every aspects of life with the aim of establishing global hegemony. He has also been accused of antisemitism for his comments, which include stereotypes about Jews' financial skills and media control. On environmental issues, he criticizes the Global North countries for "eco-imperialism" and defends Malaysia's palm oil industry as sustainable, despite international scrutiny linking it to deforestation. 218.208.8.79 (talk) 06:48, 2 November 2024 (UTC)

Hello @Baginda 480:. Thanks for your edits on this article. I would like to highlight though that the lead section is getting very long, and according to Wikipedia's guidance on lead sections:

stand on its own as a concise overview of the article's topic. It should identify the topic, establish context, explain why the topic is notable, and summarize the most important points, including any prominent controversies
Because the lead usually repeats information that is in the body, editors should balance the desire to avoid redundant citations in the lead with the desire to aid readers in locating sources for challengeable material.
I restored an old version of the lead section from when this article passed Good Article review as the lead was becoming extremely long and full of superflous information. It also does not need to have so many citations. I hope that makes sense and will help with your editing. Arcahaeoindris (talk) 06:58, 31 January 2025 (UTC)

Oh, hello! I mainly referred to the lead section of former Philippine dictator and kleptocrat Ferdinand Marcos because it contains a lot of content and numerous citations. That’s why I thought Mahathir’s lead section could be similarly detailed. However, if you think such an approach isn’t suitable for Mahathir’s article, I’m open to adjustments. That said, I do believe the citations in the lead section would be better placed in the relevant sections below.
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Additionally, I’ve added a lot of content to the section on his tenure as Prime Minister. If it eventually becomes too long, I hope you can help move some of it to the First premiership of Mahathir Mohamad section. I’ll leave it to you, as an experienced editor, to decide the best approach. Baginda 480 (talk) 07:14, 31 January 2025 (UTC)
Thank you @Baginda 480:. I think the best approach is to minimise references in the lead, as it should reflect what is written in the body of the article. I can see why the Marcos article might need more references than usual as he is an extremely controversial figure and a heavily edited article with a lot of edit wars. It is also only a B-class article - if you look at lead sections for other world leaders with GA-approved articles, like Jimmy Carter or Simón Bolívar, and even a controversial one like Robert Mugabe, you will see there are no citations in the lead section. Hope this helps and happy editing. Arcahaeoindris (talk) 15:28, 5 February 2025 (UTC)
Understood, though I’ve noticed that articles like Najib Razak, Suharto, Joko Widodo, Prabowo Subianto, and Yoon Suk Yeol also have quite a number of references in their lead sections — perhaps something to consider for consistency? 211.25.195.227 (talk) 18:47, 1 July 2025 (UTC)

Mahathir's contributions during his first tenure as Prime Minister (1981–2003) should be further expanded. In my opinion, the coverage of his first premiership is still too limited, with much of the content focusing on political events. His first term saw major economic transformations, industrialization efforts, and key policies such as the Look East Policy and Vision 2020. Expanding this section with more details on these initiatives would provide a more comprehensive view of his leadership. 2001:D08:E6:D35B:812E:830B:4943:722D (talk) 14:00, 31 January 2025 (UTC)

Draft:First premiership of Mahathir Mohamad – You can adding up in this draft page. Thegreatrebellion (talk) 11:38, 6 February 2025 (UTC)

The section on cultural depictions of Mahathir Mohamad has expanded significantly, covering various forms of artistic and media representations, including portraits, exhibitions, films, theater productions, and public monuments. Given its length and detailed content, should this section be split into a standalone article titled Cultural depictions of Mahathir Mohamad for better readability and organization? 113.211.210.181 (talk) 09:20, 1 February 2025 (UTC)

I'm agreed with this suggestion. It's better to split up this section to another new page. Thegreatrebellion (talk) 11:35, 6 February 2025 (UTC)
Happy for this to move to another page. The page itself is far too long as it currently stands.

The Chronology section seems a bit random and not in keeping with the Manual of Style for political biographies. Given the article is too long already and this section is summarised repetition can we just remove it? Jkaharper (talk) 13:35, 6 February 2025 (UTC)

On 20 March 2025, I created the article "Personal life of Mahathir Mohamad" and moved some content from the Personal life section of this article to the new page. This was done to better organize the content, as Mahathir Mohamad's personal life details were substantial enough to warrant a separate article while keeping this page more focused on his political career. Further improvements and discussions are welcome. Baginda 480 (talk) 15:12, 27 March 2025 (UTC)

Hi everyone,
I propose adding one sentence to the lead section about Mahathir’s anti-drug policies. During his first tenure, his administration enforced strict drug laws, including the mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking, and launched nationwide anti-drug campaigns. These measures significantly reduced drug-related cases and were a major part of his governance.
In 1990, The Washington Post described Malaysia as "the worst place in the world to get caught with a pound of marijuana", highlighting the firm stance taken against drugs under Mahathir’s leadership. I personally agree with these efforts and believe they were a crucial contribution to Malaysia’s security and law enforcement policies.
Given the significance of this, I believe it would be appropriate to add a single sentence in the lead section acknowledging Mahathir's efforts in combating drug-related crimes. Would others support this addition? Baginda 480 (talk) 16:39, 31 March 2025 (UTC)

Additionally, I added a sentence today about Time magazine including Mahathir in its Time 100 list in 2019, as I noticed that the lead section for Filipino President Bongbong Marcos also mentions his inclusion in the 2024 list. Let me know your thoughts. Baginda 480 (talk) 16:46, 31 March 2025 (UTC)

I have moved all the content about Mahathir's first term as Prime Minister from 1981 to 2003 to the new article 'First premiership of Mahathir Mohamad'. Now, I need help determining which content should be retained in the original article about Mahathir, as it’s important to ensure we maintain relevant information here. Baginda 480 (talk) 19:05, 6 April 2025 (UTC)

Nice work @Baginda 480:. I  would  suggest  including every section and key citations from the article, but paraphrasing each section in summary style. Arcahaeoindris (talk) 11:09, 12 April 2025 (UTC)

I have just noticed multiple instances of content removal from the Mahathir Mohamad article. I strongly condemn the actions of User talk:211.25.195.235 and User talk:218.208.8.111 for their repeated vandalism. Such behavior is unacceptable and goes against the collaborative spirit of Wikipedia. I sincerely hope this will not happen again. Baginda 480 (talk) 05:46, 21 April 2025 (UTC)

I noticed that the lead section of the article on the recently deceased former Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (and of course, I express my condolences on his passing), has been expanded to four paragraphs. In contrast, the lead section of Mahathir Mohamad — a figure of far greater historical and political influence — currently consists of only five paragraphs, with the fifth being just a single short sentence. I believe this does not adequately reflect Mahathir's significance.
Is anyone planning to expand the lead section? Or should we start a discussion on how to improve it? Baginda 480 (talk) 05:54, 21 April 2025 (UTC)

Lead sections should generally cap at around 4 paragraphs. Mahathir's lead is already overlong. CMD (talk) 06:43, 21 April 2025 (UTC)

Currently, the lead photo of Mahathir Mohamad in this article shows him with a rather serious expression. In comparison, the lead images of many other current and former leaders — such as Lee Hsien Loong, Lawrence Wong, Anwar Ibrahim, Joe Biden, and Srettha Thavisin — feature them smiling, which conveys a friendlier and more approachable image.
I am proposing to consider changing Mahathir's lead photo to one where he is smiling. I have uploaded five possible photos of him smiling (listed below). I would appreciate input from other editors on which, if any, would be suitable as the lead image.


### Options
Please share your thoughts. Of course, I understand that there's no strict rule that a leader's photo must show a smile, but I thought it might be worth discussing for a more balanced presentation. 218.208.8.70 (talk) 19:47, 20 June 2025 (UTC)

Hi, I’m just an unregistered user but I’ve been following this article for a while. Personally I feel it’s a bit sad that the Mahathir Mohamad page is now fully protected all the way until 2028. I noticed this protection was only added recently. I understand there were probably good reasons (maybe vandalism), but still, some of us who care about this subject would really like to help improve the article if we could.
Even though I'm not logged in, I’ve read a lot about Mahathir and always found his role in history very fascinating. I hope the admins might consider unlocking it earlier, or maybe allow some kinds of edit requests or partial access for constructive updates.
Just wanted to leave this here. Thanks for reading! 211.25.195.224 (talk) 21:14, 6 July 2025 (UTC)

I noticed that the subsections on Malaysia's relations with Australia, China, Myanmar, Singapore and Taiwan during his first term as prime minister are no longer present. This is surprising, as I recall these sections being included a few months ago. I also see that Baginda 480 (talk · contribs) has made a great number of edits to the article in recent months. If you were responsible for the removals, could you clarify the reasoning? Given the significance of Malaysia's relationships with these countries, their absence is difficult to understand, especially when compared to entries on countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina or the Soviet Union, which no longer exists. Aleain (talk) 08:12, 10 July 2025 (UTC)

Move to First premiership of Mahathir Mohamad. Baginda 480 (talk) 08:18, 10 July 2025 (UTC)
Noted. However, I do believe that countries such as Australia, China and Singapore should be included in the main article. Their bilateral ties with Malaysia are far more substantial and wide-ranging than those with Bosnia or Russia/the former Soviet Union. It would make more sense to prioritise countries with deeper and more sustained relations in the context of his foreign policy. Aleain (talk) 08:22, 10 July 2025 (UTC)
Thank you for raising this. I'm currently working on restoring and expanding the diplomatic relations sections, including those with Singapore, China, and Australia. However, I plan to write the content based on additional sources rather than simply duplicating what's already in the "First premiership of Mahathir Mohamad" article. This will take some time, as I want to ensure the references are relevant, diverse, and not overly repetitive. I appreciate your patience in the meantime. Baginda 480 (talk) 12:02, 10 July 2025 (UTC)
No problem. Aleain (talk) 22:28, 10 July 2025 (UTC)

Everyone uses his Dr. prefix on use outlets to referring him on foreign news outlets. Who removed his Dr. prefix? 133.9.254.58 (talk) 08:55, 10 July 2025 (UTC)

Almost every Malaysian statesman have such a title included in their infoboxes, start by removing theirs too. 133.9.254.58 (talk) 08:57, 10 July 2025 (UTC)

Possibly his year of birth was mistakenly recorded after Japanese occupation of Malaya when the birth certificate registration was launched and year of birth was based on memory not actual year. My grandmother went thru the same issue. Her age was 115 based on birth certificate.
I suggest carbon date his body part to verify. 218.208.8.124 (talk) 15:23, 10 July 2025 (UTC)

He is born before Japanese invaded Malaya. Baginda 480 (talk) 15:28, 10 July 2025 (UTC)
I meant birth certificate was not issued before Japanese Invasion at birth on the day he was born or delayed by 1 week. All certificates were created much later years period based on memory and guessing of the year the birth happened. 218.208.8.124 (talk) 15:30, 10 July 2025 (UTC)

Was looking through history and found this blanking, raising it here as I'm not sure if similar information has been restored. CMD (talk) 08:09, 14 July 2025 (UTC)

Just a quick note here that I have posted on the talk page of List of international prime ministerial trips made by Mahathir Mohamad during his second term regarding a missing entry — Mahathir's visit to Bali on 11 October 2018, to attend the ASEAN Leaders' Gathering (ALG).
This trip must be included in that list, as the page is meant to comprehensively document all his international visits during his second premiership. I have provided a reliable news source in the linked talk section:
https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2018/10/420046/dr-mahathir-returns-bali-pm-15-years-after-bidding-adieu
Please consider updating both the list and, if relevant, the main article. 2001:D08:E6:D35B:1969:3841:2729:4BAC (talk) 18:10, 14 July 2025 (UTC)

BALI: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad arrived in Bali today to attend the inaugural Asean Leaders’ Gathering (ALG), making a nostalgic return to an Asean meeting at the island resort after 15 years.
It was at the Asean Summit in Bali in 2003 that he bid farewell to the 10-member grouping when he stepped down as the fourth prime minister.
This visit is Dr Mahathir’s second to Indonesia since becoming Malaysia’s seventh prime minister after the country’s historic general election in May.
Upon arrival at 11.45am (Malaysia and Bali time) at the Ngurah Rai International Airport, Dr Mahathir was welcomed by Indonesia’s Minister of Public Works and Housing, Basuki Hadimuljono.
The Prime Minister is accompanied by his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali; Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah; as well as officials from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Foreign Ministry.
The theme of the ALG is ‘Achieving Sustainable Goals (SDGs) and Overcoming Development Gaps through Regional and Global Collaborative Actions.’
Dr Mahathir is scheduled to deliver his remarks at the gathering, as well as attend an official dinner hosted by Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo.
Other Asean leaders attending the gathering are Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong; Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte; Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam; Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha; Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen; Prime Minister of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith; Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc; and Myanmar President U Win Myint.
Dr Mahathir is also expected to hold bilateral discussions with his Asean counterparts on the sidelines of the gathering.
As the meeting is held simultaneously with the annual conference of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank from Oct 8 to 14, the Asean leaders are also set to engage with IMF managing director Christine Lagarde; World Bank president Jim Yong Kim and United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres. 2001:D08:E6:D35B:1969:3841:2729:4BAC (talk) 18:12, 14 July 2025 (UTC)

Also, appreciate if someone could help update Indonesia’s colour on the international trip map – it should reflect three visits during Mahathir’s second term (not two). 2001:D08:E6:D35B:1969:3841:2729:4BAC (talk) 18:26, 14 July 2025 (UTC)

Because he's was involved in a political crackdown in 1987 that led to the arrest and detention of opposition leaders and others under the Internal Security Act (ISA). This event, often referred to as "Operasi Lalang" or "Operation Weeding," is sometimes nicknamed the "butcher of the opposition" because of the government's harsh actions against its political rivals. ~2025-35741-92 (talk) 10:02, 23 November 2025 (UTC)