In 2001, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad proposed a new currency that would be used initially for international trade among Muslim nations.

The book argued that a balance had to be achieved between enough government support for Malays so that their economic interests would not be dominated by the Chinese, and exposing Malays to sufficient competition to ensure that over time, Malays would lose what Mahathir saw as the characteristics of avoiding hard work and failing to " appreciate the real value of money and property ".

Hussein and Mahathir were not close allies, and Hussein knew the choice of Mahathir would displease Abdul Rahman, still alive and revered as the father of Malaysia's independence.

In 1983, Mahathir commenced the first of a number of battles he would have with Malaysia's royalty during his premiership.

At UMNO's general assembly in 2002, Mahathir announced that he would resign as Prime Minister, only for supporters to rush to the stage and convince him tearfully to remain.

He told delegates that he would not pursue the economic strategies adopted two decades ago by Mahathir.

On 19 May 2008, the dispute between Mahathir and Abdullah reached a " shocking " stage when Dr Mahathir, who had served as UMNO President for 22 years, announced that he was quitting the party after having lost confidence in Abdullah Badawi's leadership, and that he would only rejoin the party after Abdullah had stepped down as UMNO President and Prime Minister.

When Mahathir bin Mohamad succeeded Hussein Onn as Prime Minister, he declared the election for the Deputy Presidency of UMNO — and thus by extension the Deputy Prime Ministership — was open ; he would not support any candidate.

When Mahathir bin Mohamad succeeded Hussein Onn as Prime Minister of Malaysia, he declared the election for the Deputy Presidency of UMNO open ; and thus by extension the Deputy Prime Ministership — was open ; he would not support any candidate.

In order to achieve Vision 2020, Mahathir lamented that the nation required an annual growth of 7 % ( in real terms ) over the thirty-year periods ( 1990 – 2020 ), so that the economy would be eightfold stronger than its 1990 GDP of RM115 billion.

He was succeeded by Datuk Hussein Onn, the son of UMNO ’ s founder Onn Jaafar, and then by Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad, who had been Education Minister since 1981, and who held power for 22 years.

Mahathir also greatly expanded educational opportunities for Malay women – by 2000 half of all university students were women.

Mahathir increased privatization and introduced the New Development Policy ( NDP ), designed to increase economic wealth for all Malaysians, rather than just Malays.

The 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia's Tun Doctor Mahathir Bin Mohamad instigated the project as part of the development of the Multimedia Super Corridor a grand development plan for the nation.

The official opening ceremony for Cyberjaya was held in May 1997 by then Prime Minister, Mahathir bin Mohamad.

This campus was the brainchild of the country's fourth Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, as a center of learning and research for the Multimedia Super Corridor ( MSC ), a 750 km² area designated as the country's high-tech research and industrial area.

Many observers believe full abolition of bumiputra privileges is unlikely, especially in view of the constitutional issues involved, although successive administrations since Mahathir have attempted to reform the system of government aid for the bumiputra.

While practising as a doctor in Alor Setar, Mahathir became active in UMNO ; by the time of the first general election for the independent state of Malaya in 1959, he was the chairman of the party in Kedah.

While in the political wilderness, Mahathir wrote his first book, The Malay Dilemma, in which he set out his vision for the Malay community.

In 1975, Mahathir ran for one of the three vice-presidencies of UMNO.

Mahathir is regarded has having been a successful Minister for Education and then Minister for Trade and Industry ( 1978 – 1981 ).

When the public became aware of the impasse, and the Sultans refused to compromise with the government, Mahathir took the streets to demonstrate public support for his position in mass rallies.

Mahathir also actively pursued privatisation of government enterprises from the early 1980s, both for the liberal economic reasons it was being pursued by contemporaries such as Margaret Thatcher, and because he felt that combined with affirmative action for the bumiputera it could provide economic opportunities for bumiputera businesses.

PAS, which had in the 1970s joined UMNO in government, responded to the resurgence by taking an increasingly strident Islamist stand under the leadership of the man who in 1969 had defeated Mahathir for his parliamentary seat, Yusof Rawa.

Razaleigh and Musa ran for the UMNO presidency and deputy presidency on a joint ticket against Mahathir and his new choice for deputy, Ghafar Baba.

Mahathir then suspended Salleh for " gross misbehaviour and conduct ", ostensibly because the letter was a breach of protocol.

The expiry of the Malaysian New Economic Policy ( NEP ) in 1990 gave Mahathir the opportunity to outline his economic vision for Malaysia.

Much of the credit for Malaysia's economic development in the 1990s went to Anwar Ibrahim, appointed by Mahathir as Finance Minister in 1991.

In a speech in Kuala Lumpur, which Mahathir attended, US Vice President Al Gore stated that " we continue to hear calls for democracy ", including " among the brave people of Malaysia ".

* 1981 – Mahathir Mohamad becomes Malaysia's 4th Prime Minister ; his 22 years in office, ending with retirement on 31 October 2003, made him Asia's longest-serving political leader.

* 2003 – Mahathir bin Mohamad resigns as Prime Minister of Malaysia and is replaced by Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, marking an end to Mahathir's 22 years in power.

Having spent over 22 years in office, Mahathir was the world's longest-serving elected leader when he retired.

Mahathir exercised caution in his first two years in power, consolidating his leadership of UMNO and, with victory in the 1982 general election, the government.

The then Prime Minister and party President, Mahathir Mohamad, faced his first party election in 12 years, having been elected unopposed since the 1975 UMNO election.

The politics of the Malays, particularly UMNO politics, had undergone a sea change in the first few years of the Mahathir stewardship, and the party presidency was challenged for the second time in 41 years.

The Malay Dilemma is a controversial book written by Mahathir bin Mohamad in 1970, 11 years before he became Malaysia's 4th Prime Minister.

In 1981, Harun was released after receiving a pardon from the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong on advice of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, after serving three years of his sentence.

Under Mahathir bin Mohamad ’ s long Prime Ministership ( 1981 – 2003 ), Malaysia ’ s political culture became increasingly centralized and authoritarian, due to Mahathir's belief that the multiethnic Malaysia could only remain stable through controlled democracy.

In 2003 Dr Mahathir, Malaysia's longest serving prime minister, voluntarily retired in favour of his new deputy, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

In 2003 Mahathir spoke to the Non-Aligned Movement in Kuala Lumpur, and as part of his speech, said: If innocent people who died in the attack on Afghanistan and those who have been dying from lack of food and medical care in Iraq are considered collaterals, are the 3, 000 who died in New York, and the 200 in Bali also just collaterals whose deaths are necessary for operations to succeed?

More recently, the 2003 Invasion of Iraq caused additional friction between the two countries ; Mahathir was highly critical of President George W. Bush for acting without a United Nations mandate.

A 2003 house subcommittee hearing ( Serial No. 108 – 21 ) on US policy towards South East Asia sums it up as " Despite sometimes blunt and intemperate public remarks by Prime Minister Mahathir, U. S .- Malaysian cooperation has a solid record in areas as diverse as education, trade, military relations, and counter-terrorism.

Abdullah went on to succeed Mahathir as Prime Minister in 2003.

After Mahathir stepped down as President of UMNO in 2003, he was replaced by his designated successor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who by virtue of his new position also became Prime Minister of Malaysia.

* Somun, Hajrudin ; Somun-Krupalija, Lejla, Mahathir, the Secret of the Malaysian Success, published by Pelanduk Publications, 2003, ISBN 967-978-879-2

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad commented on the achievement in a May 2003 Bernama News Agency article, claiming that " the PETRONAS LNG complex now serves as another shining example of a vision realized of a national aspiration, transformed into reality by the same belief among Malaysians that ' we can do it.

In 2003, she was conferred the highest honorary title of Tun along with her husband, Dr Mahathir, by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong ( King ) of Malaysia.

It was opened in October 2003 by the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad.