Nearly a 12 months into his second term as prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was named to Time magazine’s list of 100 most influential people this 12 months, reports the New Straits Times.
Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown wrote a summary profile of Dr Mahathir on the Time Magazine 100 website, calling him “a mighty old warhorse who dazzled during a grueling campaign.”
“You do not have to be young to fight power… Take for instance Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the (then) former Prime Minister of Malaysia, who retired last 12 months to sharply criticize his successor (Datuk Seri) Najib Razak, who’s facing embezzlement charges million dollars from the national development fund 1MDB.
“Giving vent to his moral outrage, colloquially known as Dr. M, returned to power after a landslide election victory in May 2018 at the age of 92.”
Rewcastle-Brown said Dr Mahathir had attracted huge crowds through the campaign.
“His reliance on core values united campaign groups, and his age inspired confidence in the nice politician.
“Now 93, (Dr Mahathir) has pledged to hand over power to former opposition leader (Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim (71), whom he released from prison days after his victory. For Malaysia, this event restored democracy in a country that had almost descended into totalitarianism,” she wrote.
Dr. Mahathir is included within the Leaders segment of Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people this 12 months.
Joining him on the list are US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Zi Jinping, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinta Ardern, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed and Pope Francis.
Other categories on the list include Pioneers, Artists, Icons, and Titans.
Source: New Straits Times
