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== Revisionism At Work?==
{{Article history
|action1=PR
|action1date=06:09:19 14 May 2019 (UTC)
|action1link=Misplaced Pages:Peer review/Mahathir Mohamad/archive1
|action1result=reviewed
|action1oldid=938640094


| action2 = GAN
Would someone please verify, with indisputable evidence, that the image "260px-Tunku_abdul_rahman31.jpg" as being an actual taken photograph? The image seems to be a doctored one i.e. a composite of two photos being merged together. The image of Tunku and Dr. M holding hands, especially during Tunku's twilight years does not seem to resonate with my knowledge of the relationship between this two personalities.
| action2date = 04:10, 19 March 2020 (UTC)
| action2link = Talk:Mahathir Mohamad/GA1
| action2result = failed
| action2oldid = 946138787


|itn1date=1 March 2020
It is little known, except to those in the know or those whom are familiar with M'sian politics, that Dr. M was a bitter critic of Tunku when the latter was P.M. Suffice to say, Tunku gave to him 'lock, stock, and two smoking barrels' by 'expelling' him from UMNO, among other things. Even to the end of his days, Tunku, may God bless his soul, remained a political opponent of Dr. M.
|otd1date=2014-07-16|otd1oldid=617206834
|otd2date=2023-10-31|otd2oldid=1182505997


|action3 = GAN
Seems to me there is revisionist out there who's attempting to make Dr. M look good(?). Kind of reminds me of a book that is now being touted as being first(!) published in 1971 instead of BEFORE 1969(!!!). And I thought only Communists had the luxury of accusing others for being 'revisionists'.
|action3date = 09:54, 1 November 2023 (UTC)
|action3link = Talk:Mahathir Mohamad/GA2
|action3result = listed
|action3oldid = 1182843376
|currentstatus = GA
|dykdate= 30 November 2023
|dykentry= ... that as Malaysian prime minister, ''']''' called the outcomes of the 1992 ] "eco-imperialism"?
|dyknom= Template:Did you know nominations/Mahathir Mohamad
|topic = History
|otd3date=2024-10-31|otd3oldid=1254426493
}}
{{WikiProject banner shell|blp=yes|class=GA|vital=yes|listas=Mahathir Bin Mohamad|1=
{{WikiProject Islam|importance=Low |Muslim-scholars=yes}}
{{WikiProject Biography|politician-priority=high |politician-work-group=yes}}
{{WikiProject Malaysia|importance=high}}
{{WikiProject Politics|importance=High }}
{{WikiProject Conservatism|importance=High }}
{{WikiProject Southeast Asia|importance=High }}
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{{Past Malaysian collaboration|month=January|year=2008}}
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==Did you know nomination==
] 04:39, 16 February 2006 (UTC)
{{Template:Did you know nominations/Mahathir Mohamad}}


== "Allegations of antisemitism" ==
== Early discussion ==


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? ] (]) 03:55, 10 November 2023 (UTC)
Does anyone know: Is ''bin'' capitizalized at the start of a sentence?-- ] 08:54 1 Jul 2003 (UTC)~
:{{Re|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 ] and ]. ] (]) 10:12, 15 November 2023 (UTC)
:yes, it is usually cap'ed ] 16:16, Oct 12, 2004 (UTC)
::Most reputable sources do not outright refer to Mahathir as anti-semitic, but various Jewish and Zionist publications/groups have.
::UK Muslim leaders ‘inspired’ by antisemitic ex-Malaysian prime minister - The Jewish Chronicle, 2023
::'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.")
::A defiant Malaysian PM defends his anti-Semitism in the name of free speech - Times of Israel, 2019
::Malaysian PM Mahathir Confirms Himself as Oldest Anti-Semitic Leader in the World - Simon Wiesenthal Center, 2018
::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) ] (]) 18:41, 17 November 2023 (UTC)


== Doctor (Dr.) title ==
----
Hmmm, I don't think his "economic nationalism" is controversial or disputed. Rather his methods... --] 09:01 1 Jul 2003 (UTC)


Add his doctor title in his infobox ] (]) 03:17, 3 January 2024 (UTC)
== Concerning 'BIN' ==


== The introduction to Mahathir Mohamad's political views is too long ==
Hi there!


It focuses too much on Mahathir's political views and should be shortened. ] (]) 06:47, 2 November 2024 (UTC)
Just thought I'd try to help clear out any confusions concerning
the word 'bin' that is usually found in Asians' (particularly Malays) names.


: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. ] (]) 06:48, 2 November 2024 (UTC)
In a Malay name, the format are as follows:
1) AAA bin BBB or
2) CCC binti DDD

The first format is for a male while the 2nd one is for a female. Unlike Western names, most Asian names do not have any family names. The 'AAA' is the first name while the 'BBB' is the father's name. Same goes for the 'CCC' and 'DDD'.
The word 'BIN' actually means 'son of' where as 'BINTI' means 'daughter of'.

So, when Malays such as myself goes off overseas, we often get confused because people tend to call us by our 'supposedly' surname. For example, my name is Anis binti Hamzah, but I would be called Ms. Binti Hamzah or Ms. Hamzah. It's quite funny though, coz the person is actually calling out 'daughter of Hamzah'.

I hope the brief explanation was helpful. Any inquiries about the Malays in general, can mail me at suzanis@graffiti.net

::Thanks for the helpful explanation. Maybe this can added to one of the standard help pages. -- ] 06:27, 15 Aug 2003 (UTC)

== Quotes ==

After due consideration, I have moved the following quotes here:

:On October 16, 2003, he said in a speech to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference that "The Europeans killed six million Jews out of 12 million. But today the Jews rule this world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them," which prompted condemnations from the EU, USA, Israel, and Australia, among others, and the Malaysian opposition party Democratic Action Party. Condemnation from Australia was especially rare, as that nation has ignored Mahathir's rhetoric in the past.

:"We cannot fight them (the Jews) through brawn alone, we must use our brains also," said in an speech to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference on October 16.

:"Even among the Jews there are many who do not approve of what the Israelis are doing." (same speech?cf Neturei Karta)

I read the entire speech and feel that to use his words in this way in the article to quote them out of context. (To be sure, his choice of words was not felicitous.) If anyone feels strongly otherwise, let's discuss it here. -- ] 18:07, 28 Oct 2003 (UTC)

:: I have also read the speech in full, and I would say that it is anti-Semitic. He plainly used the Jews as the bogeyman, so to speak, and knowledge and science as not the end rather the means of destroying the Jews. Remember, the "Jews rules the world" myth had been used by Hitler in the Holocaust, Stalin in the Gulags, along with other Arab dictatorships, especially Iraq in the 50s to justify pogroms, exile and/or genocide. -- ]

:::And that's so different from Dubya's antisemitism, using Arabs as bogeymen. Besides, the apology for the EU poll proves Mahathir's not all wrong.

:::: Concerns about Bush should be discussed on the Bush page. Not everything is about Bush or America. The discussion here is about Mahathir and his view of Jewish people. Do you have any thoughts you would like to share on that matter?--] 12:41, 19 Oct 2004 (UTC)

==Query==

Hi Andrew,

I am curious as to why you deleted this text:

:This statement alarmed Malaysian moderates who fear that Malaysia's British-based common law is being degraded and sharia will be extended to Malaysia's non-Muslim population, notably the large population of ethnic Chinese.

It was expressed by a member of Malaysia's Indian minority. I derived it from here: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/04/15/1050172597745.html

You added this text yesterday:

:Nonetheless, largely due to the economic development of the country, which by and large has benefited all races, he leaves behind a
peaceful and confident Malaysia.

Yet media reports suggest that certain inter-ethnic tensions remain and I think it would important to report this, if it is indeed the case. I mean, two northern provinces are now already governed by sharia!

I look forward to your comments. Thanks, -- ] 08:55, 30 Oct 2003 (UTC)

== Honorific ==

Hi again Andrew,

In conformance with ], I have unbolded ''dato' seri'' (I also added ] as an example). People may not immediately know that it is an Malay honorific, but they will after they read the article ;-).

As for the ''Dr'', we tend not to use this and other titles for English-language articles. See for example ] or ].

Hi,
For Malaysian society, honorific or title is very important and most people "bought" it rather than "achieved". It represents social class and come very useful to climb the society and economic status. It has became tool to get easy loan or land or business opportunities.


-- ] 09:18, 30 Oct 2003 (UTC)

== mv one line from article here ==

I have moved the following line here:
:''It has, however been put to better uses recently; it has been used against dangerous groups of Islamic militants and terror groups.''
It is rather POV. -- ] 14:09, 22 Feb 2004 (UTC)

==Picture==
Surely we can find a better picture of Mahathir than the pathetic one that is there. Any volunteers? --
] 12:42, 19 Oct 2004 (UTC)

: The 2004 photograph is dire and does Dr M a disservice, whatever your opinion of him. However, having two pictures at the top is excessive.] 21:29, 11 Sep 2005 (UTC)

==Added:Medical school==

"This eventually became the Medical Faculty of the University of Malaya. It eventually became the Medical Faculty of the National University of Singapore (bearing the original name). Thus Mahathir is an alumnus of both universities."

Was always unclear as to why both schools refered to him as alumnus. --] 13:13, 19 Oct 2004 (UTC)

==To do:Adopted==
"they have seven children Marina, Mirzan, Melinda, Mokhzani, Mukhriz, Maizura, and Mazhar and ten grandchildren."
I believe a long time ago there was a whole long string of articles about themadopting children. Are all 7 listed there biological children or are some adopted?--] 13:13, 19 Oct 2004 (UTC)

==Removed:unproven cronyism==

"While officially not proven, it is generally accepted that the vast majority of government members and entrepreneurs unjustly enriched themselves under Mahathir's rule, with his tacit approval."

This statement needs a citation of some sort else it is just a "surat layang" by any other name.


==Citation Requested: IMF and soros endorsement==

"As the Malaysian economy recovered, the IMF and George Soros released statements saying that Mahathir's policies had indeed been the right ones"

Can someone find a cite for this? Personally I doubt they came right out and said it clearly but stranger things have happened.

According to ]: ...Perhaps the most surprising endorsement of capital controls came from the International Monetary Fund, which had stridently opposed the action last year. IMF Board members ''broadly agreed that the regime of capital controls - which was intended by the authorities to be temporary - had produced more positive results than many observers had initially expected'', according to a summary of a July board meeting released September 8....

Please see: http://pgoh.free.fr/mahathir_IMF.html
Quote:
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Malaysia's approach to peg the ringgit in dealing with the Asian financial crisis was the correct move.
"With hindsight, we have to recognise the good performance of the economy. Mahathir was right," said the fund's managing director Horst Koehler, referring to the decision in September 1998 by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the aftermath of the currency crash.

Hmmmm. Those two sources say very different things. One just says that the IMF says that a certain policy has produiced "more positive results than many observers had initially expected." The other credits the IMF with going much further than that, saying that what Mahathir did was right, not just "better than expected"! his conflict of sources makes the situation even more interesting than it had been. And we've so far left the portion of the original statement that named Soros out of our accounts. User:Christofurio|Christofurio]] 21:00, August 19, 2005 (UTC)

==Embelish please:Fiscal policies==

"Perhaps the prudent fiscal and monetary policies have ensured that the Malaysian economy, while not growing as spectacularly as before, is well balanced and not built on questionable fundamentals. "

Can someone fill in some details and examples. Without them this is just cheerleading.

==Re-write: Doom and gloom==

"Long term structural considerations, such as the uncompetitiveness of Malaysian firms, the failure of Malaysian industry to move up the value chain in the face of increasing costs and competition from other countries in the region (most notably China) as well as lack of results in R&D, still cloud the horizon, and Malaysia's long term prospects appear to be deeply uncertain if not bleak."

Can someone re-write this?


==Recommend removal: Anwar==

"In separate trials, Anwar was sentenced to six years in prison for corruption and nine years prison for sodomy, to be served concurrently.
Both ] and ]
expressed serious doubts about the fairness of the trials.

The Anwar crisis sparked unprecedented massive protests by Malaysians, of all ethnic groups, and many of Anwar's supporters from UMNO regrouped around the intellectual-Muslim "Parti ] Nasional" (National Justice Party). Despite faring well for a new party in the ], the party foundered in the ], with Anwar's wife, Dr. ] left as the only Keadilan member of parliament. "

This can be viewed on the Anwar page and is relevant there. I fail to see the relevance here?

:I think it displays how Mahathir's actions in removing Anwar changed the political scene in Malaysia. It could be summarised a little bit more, though. ] | ] 13:50, 19 Oct 2004 (UTC)

This is one sided and does not even attempt to tell the whole story. This whole page should be re-titled "How Mahathir's opponents view him."

==Recomend removal: PAS==

"Despite this, PAS only captured the state of ] in the 1999 elections, and failed to retain it in the next election. This was largely seen to be due to PAS' fundamentalist Islamic policies, as they had introduced Islamic sharia laws into Terengganu and their other stronghold, ]. These laws included banning various forms of entertainment, and mandatory wearing of the ] for women, regardless of religion. Many political analysts felt that this had prevented PAS from making major gains, keeping the reins of power firmly in Mahathir's hands, as the non-Malay voters were turned off by the perceived religious fundamentalism of PAS."

What the heck does PAS election thing have to do with Mahathir anyway?

:I think it shows how the electorate chose Mahathir over PAS, although I do think it could use some summarising. ] | ] 13:50, 19 Oct 2004 (UTC)

==Removed: Ministry allocation==

Health and transport has always been MCA and Works has always been MIC. Finance was an aberation as originally it was held by Tan Siew Sin who was removed since he refused to allow deficit spending. In a country where Courts Mammoth can become the biggest furniture store by offering "tanpa cengkeram" anyone disallowing deficit spending will surely see the door in finance. Good man, bad politician, tough break.

==Altered: Scholarships==
"Malay scholarships are another major problem as these are more often given to the children of the well connected and affluent Malays at the expense of the children of poor Malay farmers/settlers/fishermen."

To

"Public scholarships are another issue of contention as there is a perception that these are given to the children of those who are connected and affluent giving the perception that these awards are not based on merit. Those who believe that scholarships should be given based on need would rather see it go to poor people who are often stereotyped as farmers/settlers/fishermen. However, none of these scholarships claim to be given on a basis of need."

1) There are no Malay scholarships. If the Malay community wishes to set up a scholarship fund (like Mendaki in Singapore) then they are welcome to give it to only Malays. Sort of like how the Hokkien association only gives "academic prizes" to Hokkien people etc. The issues is that these are "public scholarships" funded by the taxes of the rakyat.

2) We do not know if they are "more often" given to such people. (Unless you have a cite or a figure). We do however know that they are perceived to be given to such people. Example 100 people get scholarships, one is datuks son, there is perception that scholarships are given to those who are not "needy".

==Request Cite: NS ==
"At the instigation of Defence Minister Najib Tun Razak (now Deputy Prime Minister)"

I am inclined (70%) to believe this is true but without a cite I will bet dollars to bananas that someone will come along and challenge it...

== Summarising ==

I'm beginning to think we're overloading this article with irrelevant information. A lot of the material here would fit in better with ] or the various election articles. We ought to summarise these longwinded details and condense them. Much of the information fits in better elsewhere.

: True we could start a new page with the same title as a proposed mandatory course in local unis (thankfully never implemented) - "The thoughts of Dr. Mahathir" :)

==Removed:Australia into Asean==
"Mahathir's government is also widely perceived as putting efforts to exclude Australia from South East Asian intergovernmental agreements, such as ]."

Tried googling since this rings false. No record of Australia ever wanting to join ASEAN. If anything the asian perception is that Australia is too "white", hence the Hanson concerns. It is part of Asia (regionally) yet tries to be part of Europe. Anyway please find a cite for this...--] 14:05, 20 Oct 2004 (UTC)

==Re-organize: Stance on terror==
"He has, however, taken a very strong stance for the war on terror, cooperating with neighbours ], the ] and ] in flushing out terrorist insurgencies, while at the same time cracking down ruthlessly on suspected militants back home."

Someone move this where appropriate because it doesn't say a thing about Mahathir and Australia (the section).

== Quotations from Mahathir ==

Mahathir is the master of the juicy quote, so please add in anything you can attribute to — esp. if somebody can find the full text of the famous "Jews rule the world by proxy" quote. ] 06:38, 7 Dec 2004 (UTC)

The "full text" meaning the whole speech? That would be worth an external link. --] 20:11, Dec 9, 2004 (UTC)

::"''The Muslims will forever be oppressed and dominated by the Europeans and the Jews. It cannot be that there is no other way. 1.3 billion Muslims cannot be defeated by a few million Jews. There must be a way. We are actually very strong. 1.3 billion people cannot be simply wiped out. The Europeans killed 6 million Jews out of 12 million. But today the Jews rule this world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them. They survived 2000 years of pogroms not by hitting back, but by thinking. They invented and successfully promoted Socialism, Communism, human rights and democracy so that persecuting them would appear to be wrong, so they may enjoy equal rights with others. With these they have now gained control of the most powerful countries and they, this tiny community, have become a world power. Of late because of their power and their apparent success they have become arrogant. And arrogant people, like angry people will make mistakes, will forget to think''." ] 11:32, 12 Jun 2005 (UTC)

==NPOV dispute==

I think that the NPOV tag on this article is appropriate. The article seems to be, to a certain extent, a soapbox for Mahathir's critics, and does not reflect the fact that he is widely respected throughout the Third World for his successful challenges to the policies of the IMF. Consequently, he became a special target of rage for the Anglo-American financial interests and the news media they control, which have vigorously supported and promoted his various opponents, not wishing to confront him directly themselves. --] 14:32, 23 August 2005 (UTC)

:I have removed the POV tag. If anyone has specific issues with this article, they need to list them here. ] | ] 21:17, 23 August 2005 (UTC)

::I'd like to ask where ] gets the interpretation of events that he lists. Is there a source? -] 22:34, August 23, 2005 (UTC)

== affirmative action statement ==

With regards to comparing the US to Malaysia's affirmative action policies, there *is* a substantial black middle class in the USA . The fact that the economically deprived subgroup is a minority group is also radically different to the Malaysian situation, where it is/was the ethnic minority Chinese who are economically powerful. Hence, I'll remove the comparison with the USA--01:15, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

== Anti-semitism ==

I am surprised that there is mention of only one instance of Mahatir's anti-semitism. Throughout his time as Prime Minister he made many offensive and anti-semitic statements. This should at least be noted in the intro. He was not just anti-Israel, but rather quite racist against jews. ] 01:26, 6 November 2005 (UTC)
:Really? Funny because he doesn't talk about Jews everyday or every week neither every month. It was just that one "Jews rule the world by proxy" speech. ] 18:43, 29 December 2005 (UTC)

==Avoid Weasel Terms==

I have removed a number of editorial comments, attributed to anonymous "critics" in violation of ]. If such "critics" actually exist, they should be identified appropriately in a section entitled "criticism," which is the standard format for biographical articles. I would ask Xtra and Willmcw to avoid inserting their POV in this article, and the use of Weasel Terms is symptomatic of that. I also removed "]n ]" as a counterpole to ] -- there is no school of economics called "American individualism." It's a novel, POV usage, and unless there is a specific source for it, it should go. ] are clearly in opposition to '']'' capitalism. --] 07:21, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

:One reference (plenty more if you realy want) "The right to remain outspoken" South China Morning Post, November 22, 2004, Behind The News; Pg. 16. Now stop with the POV reverts. ] 09:20, 11 December 2005 (UTC)
Also, I have inserted no POV into this article. Check my edits HK. My edits are have not at any stage been POV insertion. However, removing even handed comment is POV. ] 09:25, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

::The issue in ] is not whether the comment is "even-handed," but whether it is verifiable (see also ].) If you provide a source, then the reader may evaluate the comment in terms of where it originates. In this case, I have done your work for you: "The right to remain outspoken" is based on an interview with ], and the "cronyism" comments come from author Kerry Collison, who served in the Australian Air Force with a high security clearence and was subsequently involved in spooky activities in Indonesia, suggestive of intelligence work (see .) He also authors books alleging a variety of conspiracies by Muslims against the West. If you think that Collison is a suitable source for Misplaced Pages, then by all means quote him (with attribution), but I wouldn't put his views in the introduction to the article. I also request that you edit in a civil and responsible manner, rather than simply reverting; for example, you re-inserted the business about "Asian values vs. American individualism" without providing any explanation. If that goes in again, you should explain why, preferably by providing a verifiable source. --] 16:21, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

:::"Cronyism" charges:
:::*''After decades of subservience, Anwar Ibrahim did the unthinkable and spoke out against the corrupt Mahathir bin Mohamad, the mismanagement of the economy, the cronyism, the corruption.''
:::*''When critics complain about Malaysia's brand of crony capitalism,...''
:::*''...the hopes of those who want a more liberal, less crony-ridden Malaysia.''
:::*''That gives it the leeway to pursue the pro-business policies that over years have drawn foreign direct investment as well as allegations of cronyism.''
:::And so on. -] 20:00, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

I have no problem with creating a "criticism" section, where the criticisms are properly attributed. However, putting the criticism anonymously in the intro creates the impression that these criticisms are universally shared, an explicit violation of ]. Also note that neither Xtra nor Willmcw have responded to my request that some justification be offered for "Asian values vs. American Individualism," a specious and incompetent argument. --] 03:19, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

Under your arbitration ] HK, you are not permited to repetedly delete text from articles to push your POV. I ask you to stop or I will be forced to take this matter up with an admin. ] 03:38, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

::HK removed the text on "cronyism" because it was unsourced. I found several sources but he reverted th material anyway. As for "Asian Values", it is more than simply an economic policy and I've removed the comparison to supposedly American values, which was a false dichotomy. -] 03:54, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

:What I am requesting is that the sources be provided ''in the article.'' That is the point of ] -- to prevent the use of propagandistic techniques, i.e., the implication that a view is widely held, without revealing just who it is that holds the view. For example, taking a look at the sources provided by Willmcw, they are all from either Western financial writers -- who maybe, just maybe, have a bias against Mahathir for his successful stand against the ] -- or from supporters of ], who is seen by many Malaysians as a cat's paw for Western financiers. A possible exception is ; I took a look at that one, and wasn't sure exactly what to make of it. It looks like a blog of sorts.

:It seems straightforward to me. Most readers don't go to the talk page for clarification of the article, so please source the criticism ''in the article.''

:Otherwise, thanks for removing the false dichotomy, but kindly remove "authoritarian" from "state-led capitalism" -- it is POV. "State-led capitalism" -- properly called ] -- is no more "authoritarian" than the "financier-led" or "]-led" capitalism preferred by the ] advocates. --] 15:12, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

::"]" include support for authoritarian governments. "]" is a separate, French-derived concept. I don't understand your issue about sourcing the cronyism allegation in the article. I've added the sources there. What more do you want? -] 18:22, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

:Leave "authoritarian" in the sentence about critics. Your footnotes are fine. If you wanted to be really up-front, you might say "Western Critics." Misplaced Pages as a whole tends to be extremely Anglocentric, and editors simply take for granted that the only viewpoints that count are in the English-language press.

:However, I request that you remove "authoritarian" from the sentence about "Asian values." The article, ], which I presume is your source, says that proponents of Asian values "tend to support Asian-style authoritarian governments," which I think is itself POV and should be re-worked. The U.S. and British governments are being viewed with alarm all over the world for pursuing a policy of ], ] and over-zealous internal security measures, but the last time I checked, I don't see references in Misplaced Pages to "Western-style authoritarian governments."

:Regarding your objection to ] (''dirigism'' in English, a standard economics term,) it is just as much of a "French-derived concept" as its opposite, ], to which you have apparently no objection. English-speakers are generally familiar only with the latter concept, nowadays. --] 22:20, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

::My point about Dirigisme being French is that it isn't Asian. We're talking about two separate, though overlapping, ideas. You may think that support for authoritarian governments in the Asian Values concept is POV, but NPOV requires that we include all POVs, so I don't understand your point. You'd have a tough time proving that no one things Asian Values includes support for authoritarian systems. Regarding "laissez faire", please check my edits again. Regarding "Western Critics" - I don't know that all of Ibrahaim's supporters are westerners. Mohamad has critics in Asia and in his own country. -] 23:09, 12 December 2005 (UTC)
::FYI, An essay on Asian values by Nobel Ecomics Prize winner ], "Human Rights and Asian Values" that explicitly talks about its support of authoritarianism (though not in reference to Mahathir bin Mohamad). -] 23:15, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

NPOV does require that we include all POVs -- wouldn't it be great if that were actually put into practice? -- but also requires that the POVs be sourced and ]. If a POV is simple baldly asserted as fact, i.e., "State-directed or ] economies are authoritarian," the reader is being asked to assume that the idea is universally accepted, which it is not.

Try to imagine this controversy as seen through the eyes of a non-WASP, the sort of non-WASP who would be unlikely to ever get published in the '']''. The Western press employs a sort of Orwellian double-speak, where when the ] is demanding genocidal reductions in the living standards of a ] nation, they call it ''reform'', where the looting of vulnerable economies is called ''free trade'' and sometimes even ''democracy'', and where the practice of attempting to defend one's economy via ] is always characterized as ''authoritarian.'' --] 23:14, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

::We have sources that define "Asian values" as supporting authoritarianism. Since those sources are in the ] article I don't see a need to repeat them here. Dirigisme doesn't seem to have anything to do with political authoriatarianism. Let's keep the two separate. As for cronyism, we shoulnd't go into the details of attributions in an intro. It might be appropriate to have a paragraph detailing the allegations further down. -] 00:39, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

If the sentence "He has been a very aggressive proponent of "]" a form of authoritarian state-led ]" were modified to become "He has been a very aggressive proponent of "]," a form of allegedly authoritarian state-led ]," I would consider that to be sufficiently NPOV and would move to unprotect. --] 21:29, 16 December 2005 (UTC)
:Asian values is not a form of capitalism. Please read out article on the topic. If you wish, and have source to support it, we might say that he also supports state-led capitalism, but those two concepts should not be confused.-] 23:11, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

::I agree entirely. The article is unprotected now, and I'll amend the sentence to say simply that he has been a very agressive proponent of ]. If that is not satisfactory to you, hopefully we can discuss it further and resolve it in a civil manner. --<font color ="darkred"><font face ="georgia">]</font></font> 14:53, 31 December 2005 (UTC)

==Protected==
Please work this out. Use ] if need be. --]<sup>]</sup> 23:55, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

== Unprotected ==

I've unprotected this page - please do not resort to revert wars if you still don't see eye to eye over everything. If there is a dispute, try one of the established ] procedures. Thanks. ] 12:56, 30 December 2005 (UTC)

==Anti-semitism==

Attn. 68.48.23.45: the issue of whether Dr. Mahathir is an anti-semite is disputed. It is a matter of opinion, not verifiable fact, and therefore we must use language that reflects that. I changed your formulation to "Mahathir is regarded by many as an anti-semite." I hope that is satisfactory to you, but if it is not, you should discuss it on this page before reverting. --<font color ="darkred"><font face ="georgia">]</font></font> 21:41, 7 February 2006 (UTC)


==Economic policies preferred by some Western factions==
*''Ibrahim was the preeminent Malaysian spokesperson for the economic policies preferred by some Western factions, as represented by Gore.''
What is meant by this sentence? Which policies are these? -] 08:26, 17 March 2006 (UTC)
:This is discussed in some detail at the article ]. --<font color ="darkred"><font face ="georgia">]</font></font> 15:46, 17 March 2006 (UTC)

::The only sentence in that article which mentions Gore concerns his condemnation of the sodomy trial. There's no mention of any economic policies which he supports. -] 16:34, 17 March 2006 (UTC)

:::I have added a cite which I hope perhaps may put your mind at ease. --<font color ="darkred"><font face ="georgia">]</font></font> 21:52, 17 March 2006 (UTC)

::::Will Beback, please stop playing games. Your "summary" of what is in the article is completely POV; for example, the article says that "Not surprisingly, sections of Malaysian business reacted with hostility to Anwar as he began to implement the demands of the IMF at the end of last year for budget cutbacks, tough financial measures and the abolition of huge state-backed infrastructure projects. Anwar was sacked the day after Mahathir announced tight monetary and capital controls aimed at halting speculation in Malaysian stocks and currency, and easing credit restrictions for Malaysian businesses, many of which were teetering on the brink of collapse. ...many people are understandably sceptical about the "market reforms" championed by Anwar. After all, "the gale of creative destruction" has already produced a social disaster in countries like Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea and elsewhere, throwing millions out of work and into poverty virtually overnight." You assert that "Ibrahim was the preeminent Malaysian spokesperson for economic reform intended to root out cronyism and corruption," which evidently is your opinion, not that of the cited article. I am removing it as original research. I would also suggest that if you are itching for a POV battle over whether Ibrahim was the White Knight of Malaysian politics, do it at his article, not this one. --<font color ="darkred"><font face ="georgia">]</font></font> 01:08, 18 March 2006 (UTC)

:::::If you don't like my description of Ibrahim's economic proposals then please write your own, as I requested before, and please indicate which "Western factions" are being referred to. -] 01:14, 18 March 2006 (UTC)

::::The Western factions include the IMF and the government of the U.S. I think that it is neither necessary nor desirable to characterize Ibrahim's economic proposals; it opens a whole pandora's box of POV, because for the IMF, the creditor institutions, and the speculators, "reform" means acquiescence to their demands, which from their point of view is a very good thing, whereas from the point of view of those who must dwell in third world countries, "reform" is a euphemism for plunder. Perhaps you want to argue this point, but I don't think that this article is an appropriate venue. I believe that the present formulation is adequate and neutral. --<font color ="darkred"><font face ="georgia">]</font></font> 07:33, 18 March 2006 (UTC)

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Section sizes
Section size for Mahathir Mohamad (39 sections)
Section name Byte
count
Section
total
(Top) 23,973 23,973
Early life and education 6,991 6,991
Medical career (1953–1959) 1,976 1,976
Early political career (1959–1970) 5,210 5,210
Rise to prominence (1970–1981) 3,796 3,796
First term as prime minister (1981–2003) 94 57,273
Early years (1981–1987) 9,416 9,416
Power struggles (1987–1990) 5,832 5,832
Economic development to financial crisis (1990–1998) 8,181 8,181
Final years and succession (1998–2003) 8,409 8,409
Foreign relations 7,162 25,341
"Look East" policy 2,294 2,294
United States 6,771 6,771
Singapore 6,315 6,315
Bosnia and Herzegovina 2,799 2,799
Retirement and post–first term premiership (2003–2015) 7,456 7,456
Return to politics (2015–2018) 8,943 8,943
Second term as prime minister (2018–2020) 5,899 36,767
Domestic affairs 9,292 9,292
Foreign relations 8,629 12,238
China 3,609 3,609
2020 political crisis and resignation 9,338 9,338
Post–second term premiership (2020–present) 20,305 20,305
Political positions and views 9,093 24,245
Antisemitism 8,815 8,815
LGBT rights 1,949 1,949
Comment about 2020 Nice stabbing 4,388 4,388
Personal life 2,553 19,434
Marriage and family 1,809 1,809
Health 15,072 15,072
Election results 5,277 5,277
Honors, awards and recognitions 1,357 1,357
Bibliography 17 1,895
Books 1,878 1,878
See also 149 149
Notes 36 36
References 33 1,341
Cited texts 1,308 1,308
External links 6,304 6,304
Total 232,728 232,728

GA Review

Passed. ZKang123 (talk) 09:54, 1 November 2023 (UTC)

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.


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This review is transcluded from Talk:Mahathir Mohamad/GA2. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.

Reviewer: ZKang123 (talk · contribs) 04:43, 4 August 2023 (UTC)


Ah... Mahathir Mohamed. Certainly a controversial person who likes to piss off Singaporeans from time to time especially over the water price. So, let me do the honours by doing a GA review of this page. Given the length of this article, the review will take some time.--ZKang123 (talk) 04:43, 4 August 2023 (UTC)

Rate Attribute Review Comment
1. Well-written:
1a. the prose is clear, concise, and understandable to an appropriately broad audience; spelling and grammar are correct.
1b. it complies with the Manual of Style guidelines for lead sections, layout, words to watch, fiction, and list incorporation.
2. Verifiable with no original research:
2a. it contains a list of all references (sources of information), presented in accordance with the layout style guideline.
2b. reliable sources are cited inline. All content that could reasonably be challenged, except for plot summaries and that which summarizes cited content elsewhere in the article, must be cited no later than the end of the paragraph (or line if the content is not in prose).
2c. it contains no original research.
2d. it contains no copyright violations or plagiarism.
3. Broad in its coverage:
3a. it addresses the main aspects of the topic.
3b. it stays focused on the topic without going into unnecessary detail (see summary style).
4. Neutral: it represents viewpoints fairly and without editorial bias, giving due weight to each.
5. Stable: it does not change significantly from day to day because of an ongoing edit war or content dispute.
6. Illustrated, if possible, by media such as images, video, or audio:
6a. media are tagged with their copyright statuses, and valid non-free use rationales are provided for non-free content.
6b. media are relevant to the topic, and have suitable captions.
7. Overall assessment.

Immediate failure check

I also almost forgot to do this, but I ran the article through Earwig. There are certain direct lifting of quotes of what he had said, especially on LGBT, and his criticism of OIC and Israel. But I further encourage rephrasing some of the quotes instead of entirely lifting.

As of now, no edit warring, though from what I last heard he's in treatment at the moment..--ZKang123 (talk) 08:31, 4 August 2023 (UTC)

Lead

  • The lead is very comprehensive delving into his long life of politics. Though I felt some sentences are a little wordy and the lead could be shortened.
  • For example, for the third paragraph:
    • "During Mahathir's first tenure as prime minister, Malaysia experienced a period of modernization and economic growth" -> "During Mahathir's first tenure, Malaysia underwent modernization and economic growth."
    • "fending off a series of rivals" -> "fending off several rivals"
    • "He continued pro-bumiputera affirmative action policies" - "affirmative action" seems unnecessary.
    • "In 1987, he used the controversial Internal Security Act (ISA) to detain activists, religious figures, and political opponents in Operation Lalang to tighten his grip on power, and later his own Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, whom he fired in 1998." -> "In 1987, he detained various activists and religious figures under Operation Lalang, and had his deputy Anwar Ibrahim arrested."
    • "Mahathir's record of authoritarianism and curtailing civil liberties in Malaysia as well as his antagonism towards Western interests and economic policies made his relationships with the West difficult." -> "His record of authoritarianism and curtailment of civil liberties strained relationships with the West."
  • Other nitpicks:
    • "He became Deputy Prime Minister in 1976. In 1981, he was sworn in as prime minister following the resignation of Hussein Onn." -> "He became Deputy Prime Minister in 1976 before being sworn in as prime minister in 1981." Not sure if Hussein Onn's resignation is necessary to add. Otherwise, you can add "succeeding Hussein Onn"
    • "At the age of 97, Mahathir attempted to defend his parliamentary seat for Langkawi at the 2022 general election without success, ultimately losing his election deposit." -> "Mahathir lost his parliamentary seat for Langkawi at the 2022 general election." I don't think mentioning he lost his election deposit is relevant in the lead.
Done all of the above. Arcahaeoindris (talk) 16:29, 5 August 2023 (UTC)

The lead is still way too long. Typically per WP:LEAD it should be four paragraphs or less. The last two paragraphs, which touches on Mahathir's later political career, could be further summarised. Maybe it could be summarised as:

  • Mahathir unexpectedly stepped down in 2003 but remained active in politics and criticising his successors. He eventually quit UMNO over the 1MDB corruption scandal in 2016, joining BERSATU and leading the Pakatan Harapan opposition to victory in the 2018 general election. During his second tenure, he pledged to investigate the 1MDB scandal, combat corruption, and cut spending on large infrastructure projects. He also promised to seek a pardon for Anwar Ibrahim but delayed handing over the premiership to him. Mahathir resigned in 2020 amidst a political crisis. He left BERSATU in protest of its new coalition with UMNO and established the Homeland Fighters Party and coalition Gerakan Tanah Air. In the 2022 general election, Mahathir lost his parliamentary seat for Langkawi.

--ZKang123 (talk) 05:30, 6 August 2023 (UTC)

Done. Arcahaeoindris (talk) 21:42, 6 August 2023 (UTC)

Early life and education

  • "Another aspect of Mahathir's birth set him apart from the other first six prime ministers: he was not born into the aristocracy or a prominent religious or political family." -> "Unlike the other prime ministers that preceded or succeeded him, he was not born into the aristocracy or a prominent religious or political family.
  • I might suggest that Mahathir's family background could be a separate section under "Ancestry". This section is a little too short to split.
  • Are there more details on his childhood?
  • After graduating with an MBBS medical degree in Gynecology and Obstetrics in 1953, Mahathir worked as a physician in government service. - this paragraph is uncited. Please find a relevant citation or remove.
  • "to set up his own practice." -> "to establish his practice".
  • I was initially confused with Ref 13. The preceding statement stated he's an alumnus of University of Malaya, and I was wondering why the National University of Singapore also awarding him an "honorary degree" until I checked the source. Suggest finding another source on him being an alumnus of University of Malaya and shift the passages accordingly.
  • I think there can be more on his education history. More clarity would be needed on the degrees he received and also his medical practice.

More to come.--ZKang123 (talk) 04:43, 4 August 2023 (UTC)

I've done my best to address the above accordingly. Is there still more detail needed here? Arcahaeoindris (talk) 17:09, 5 August 2023 (UTC)
Ok looks good. Though I might combine the two additional sentences of his childhood home together. Like shifting this sentence. "The family home had a single bedroom and no electricity supply." to before "His childhood home was converted to the..." Might make further mention its now gazetted as a historic building.
Also I suggest rephrasing that sentence because it's too close to the source. ZKang123 (talk) 05:35, 6 August 2023 (UTC)
Done Arcahaeoindris (talk) 21:46, 6 August 2023 (UTC)

Other general thoughts

While the article, at first glance, seems comprehensive, I felt there's a lack of substance and depth behind providing necessary context and explanations. Especially under the section of "early political career", which I say would further benefit with explaining the political context of Malaya at the time. Some sections, especially on foreign relations, could also benefit by reorganizing the essential points, such as how ties deteriorated when Mahathir disagreed with Gore's call for freedom and democracy in Asia.

I'm puzzled that the section of his relations with neighboring Singapore is very thin and brief, given he has raised many issues, and that we have a larger section on Bosnia. I felt there's undue weight given to Bosnia over Singapore.

I suggest you could take a look at similar articles, such as Robert Mugabe (who lived nearly as long as Mahathir until 2019), Winston Churchill and perhaps Lee Kuan Yew. The last might not be a GA, but it has gone through significant rewrites to focus more on the important bits.

I might continue reviewing and see if the article can be salvaged to GA. But I do suggest reorganizing the essential points instead of just blow-by-blow accounts and lifting quotes of what he said on world affairs in general.--ZKang123 (talk) 08:31, 4 August 2023 (UTC)

Addendum: FN99 for Singapore; Mothership is not a reliable source. I suggest finding a more reliable source on his ties with Singapore. ZKang123 (talk) 08:40, 4 August 2023 (UTC)
I've tried to expand the section on Singapore and trimmed the section on Bosnia, and also found better sources for Singapore. I'll come back to the other points on political context and foreign relations. Arcahaeoindris (talk) 21:41, 6 August 2023 (UTC)
Done Arcahaeoindris (talk) 23:14, 6 August 2023 (UTC)
If you want to do further research on Mahathir and Singapore, you might want to check the NewspaperSG. The linked articles on the various disputes could also have more information mentioning Mahathir's role, especially regarding Pedra Branca, Singapore. ZKang123 (talk) 00:29, 7 August 2023 (UTC)

Just an observation, in the section Return to politics (2015–2018), Lee Kuan Yew was mentioned a few times, sometimes using his full name, sometimes his surname. As the mention of Lee is in close proximity, there is no ambiguity on which Lee is being mentioned, so per MOS:SURNAME, we should reduce to just Lee. --Justanothersgwikieditor (talk) 03:00, 7 August 2023 (UTC)

Done. Arcahaeoindris (talk) 09:51, 10 August 2023 (UTC)

Early political career

  • Suggest further explaining (briefly) the political context of Malaysia post-WW2.
  • Link first mention of Tunku Abdul Rahman in the second paragraph. Subsequently, just refer to him as "Tunku" instead of his full name.
  • "In 1968, Mahathir had predicted the outbreak of racial hostility. " - I think this sentence needs further elaboration and context.
  • "Outside parliament, he openly criticised the government, sending a letter to Tunku Abdul Rahman. He criticised the prime minister for failing to uphold Malay interests. " -> Outside parliament, he openly criticised the government, also sending an open dissenting letter to Tunku for failing to uphold Malay interests and calling for his resignation."
  • "Mahathir had been fired from UMNO's Supreme Council " -> was fired.
  • "While in the political wilderness, Mahathir wrote his first book, The Malay Dilemma. He set out his vision for the Malay community." -> "Expelled from UMNO, Mahathir wrote his first book, The Malay Dilemma, in which he set out his vision for the Malay community.
  • The book continued Mahathir's criticism of Tunku Abdul Rahman's government, and it was promptly banned. The ban was only lifted after Mahathir became prime minister in 1981. -> As it included Mahathir's criticism of Tunku's government, it was promptly banned, which was only lifted under Mahathir's premiership.
  • "He had served as a minister and deputy prime minister while being the author of a banned book." -> I don't think this sentence is necessary.
Done. Arcahaeoindris (talk) 22:21, 6 August 2023 (UTC)

Rise to prominence (1970–1981)

  • "Tunku Abdul Rahman resigned in 1970 and was replaced by Tun Abdul Razak. Razak encouraged Mahathir back into the party and appointed him as a Senator in 1973." -> "Tunku resigned in 1970 and his successor, Tun Abdul Razak, encouraged Mahathir to return to UMNO and appointed him Senator (of what?) in 1973"
  • "The contest was considered a battle for the party's leadership succession, with Razak and his deputy, Hussein Onn, declining in health." -> "The contest was regarded as a struggle for the party's leadership succession, as the health conditions of Razak and his deputy, Hussein Onn, waned."
  • Also I guess it should be Abdul Razak and not just Razak in this section
  • When Razak died the following year, Hussein, as his successor, had to choose between the three men, alongside Ghazali Shafie (also mention his role), to be deputy prime minister.

More to come.--ZKang123 (talk) 06:03, 6 August 2023 (UTC)

Done. Arcahaeoindris (talk) 08:38, 9 August 2023 (UTC)

Other comments:

  • "Razaleigh was young, inexperienced and, critically, unmarried." – would just removed "critically" unless you want to further elaborate.
  • "However, Hussein's decision was not easy." – I have a feeling this statement seems to borrow from the source
  • Hussein knew Mahathir's choice would displease Abdul Rahman, still alive and revered as the father of Malaysia's independence.
    • Err... wasn't Abdul Rahman already dead? I assume Abdul Razak?
  • However, Mahathir was not an influential deputy prime minister. – However, Mahathir did not have much influence as deputy prime minister.
  • Hussein was a cautious leader who rejected many of Mahathir's bold policy proposals. – What proposals?
  • "While Hussein and Mahathir's relationship was distant, Ghazali and Razaleigh became Hussein's closest advisers, often bypassing the more senior Mahathir when accessing Hussein."
    • Reword to: Hussein remained distant from Mahathir, while keeping Ghazali and Razaleigh as his close advisors, who often outmanoeuvred Mahathir to reach Hussein.
Done. Arcahaeoindris (talk) 13:41, 17 August 2023 (UTC)

Early years (1981–1987)

  • "One of his first acts was to release 21 detainees held under the Internal Security Act, including journalist Samad Ismail and a former deputy minister in Hussein's government, Abdullah Ahmad, who had been suspected of being an underground communist."
    • Split this sentence. "One of his first acts was to release 21 detainees held under the Internal Security Act. This included journalist Samad Ismail and Abdullah Ahmad, who was a former deputy minister in Hussein's government and suspected of being an underground communist.
  • "Mahathir commenced the first of a number of battles" – rather unencyclopedic in tone. Suggest "Mahathir undertook one of the first challenges he had with Malaysia's royalty..."
  • "Thus Mahathir" – Removed thus. Also further explain how the Perak Sultan would pose a challenge to Mahathir.
  • "government, introducing" – Split the sentence. "government. He introduced..."
  • Remove "by then"
  • "would be returned" – "would return"
  • "the bumiputera, Malaysia's Malays and indigenous peoples," – I would suggest using en dash
  • "Mahathir 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." – suggest simplifying this sentence.
  • "By the end of the 1980s, Proton had overcome poor demand and losses to become, with the support of protective tariffs, the largest carmaker in Southeast Asia and a profitable enterprise."
    • Reword to "By the end of the 1980s, with the support of protective tariffs, Proton became a profitable enterprise and the largest carmaker in Southeast Asia.
    • Also wikilink Southeast Asia
  • "Malaysia was experiencing" – "experienced"
  • "Malays were becoming more religious and more conservative." – delete this sentence; it's rather repetitive of the previous.
  • 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 Yusof Rawa, who in 1969 had defeated Mahathir for his parliamentary seat."
    • First off, you don't have to relink PAS (since that has been done in "Early political career")
    • "which had in the 1970s joined UMNO in government," – "which had joined UMNO in government in the 1970s"
    • You don't have to explain Yusof Rawa since that was explained in said passage
  • "under the government's oversight." – "under government oversight"
  • " attracted Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (ABIM), to join UMNO." – "managed to draw Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (ABIM), into the ranks of UMNO."
    • I might also further explain why Mahathir drew Anwar over. This sentence also seems more relevant to the previous paragraph.
  • MP – I would explain what is MP here, since it's first abbreviated in the body

More to come.--ZKang123 (talk) 08:58, 12 August 2023 (UTC)

Done.Arcahaeoindris (talk) 08:47, 17 August 2023 (UTC)

Exerting power (1987–1990)

  • I might rename this subsection as "Power struggles"
  • Any illusion that the 1986 election may have created about Mahathir's political dominance was short-lived. – I have a feeling this sentence seems to be lifted right from the encyclopedia quoted.
    • Checked with the encyclopedia; it's alright, but kind of still too fluffy and more of an original observation. I might just remove this sentence.
  • "In 1987, he was challenged for UMNO's presidency, and effectively the prime ministership, by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah."
    • Reword to "In 1987, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who had been demoted from Finance Minister to Trade and Industry Minister, challenged Mahathir for UMNO's presidency, and effectively the prime minister post"
    • Remove the subsequent sentence
  • "Razaleigh was supported by Musa, who had resigned as deputy prime minister the previous year. While Musa and Mahathir were originally close allies, the two had fallen out during Mahathir's premiership. Musa claimed that Mahathir no longer trusted him."
    • Shortened to "Razaleigh's bid was supported by Musa, who had resigned as deputy prime minister the previous year. While once close allies with Mahathir, both fell out with Musa claiming that Mahathir no longer trusted him."
  • "Team B and Team A, respectively." - remove comma
  • "However, some significant figures, such as Abdullah Badawi supported Team B." – However, other prominent figures such as Abdullah Badawi supported Team B.
  • "The tickets were known as Team B and Team A, respectively. " – sentence might be a little redundant since you are explaining the teams alr
  • "UMNO Malaysia, under Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah's leadership and support of both of Malaysia's surviving former prime ministers, Abdul Rahman and Hussein, registered the party Semangat 46 instead."
    • Reword to "Nevertheless, UMNO Malaysia registered the party as Semangat 46 instead under Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah's leadership and with the support of Malaysia's surviving former prime ministers, Abdul Rahman and Hussein."
  • "sent a letter of protest to the Agong" – what sort of letter specifically?
Done although will come back to elaborate on the letter. Arcahaeoindris (talk) 09:01, 17 August 2023 (UTC)
Done. Arcahaeoindris (talk) 19:56, 21 August 2023 (UTC)

Economic development to financial crisis (1990–1998)

  • The NDP achieved success out one of its main aims, poverty reduction. – use endash instead of comma. Also "The NDP achieved one of its main aims"
  • "Much of the credit" – "Much credit"
  • "One of the largest was the Multimedia Super Corridor, an area south of Kuala Lumpur, in the mould of Silicon Valley, designed to cater for the information technology industry." – "One of the largest was the Multimedia Super Corridor, a new information technology district south of Kuala Lumpur modelled after Silicon Valley."
  • "In 1998, in a controversial approach, Mahathir reversed this policy course in defiance of the IMF and his own deputy, Anwar. He increased government spending and fixed the ringgit to the US dollar"
    • Reword to "In 1998, Mahathir went against the advice of IMF and Anwar and increased government spending and fixed the ringgit to the US dollar."
  • confounded his international critics and the IMF. Malaysia - replace full stop with en dash, since these two sentences are related
  • ". He could now claim to have rescued the economy despite Anwar's policies" - join to previous sentence ", taking credit for the economy's recovery despite Anwar's policies."
  • "In his second decade in office, Mahathir had again found himself battling Malaysia's royalty." – I have a feeling this sentence seems to be lifted right from the encyclopedia quoted.
    • Checked against the source. It's not from the source, but it still sounds very much like original research. I might still rewrite this sentence to "In 1990, Mahathir found himself at odds with Malaysian royalty over conflicting economic interests".
    • From the source, it looks like there were royalty conflicts with prospective businessmen, while they were under further scrutiny thanks to Mahathir, and his government passed a resolution on the royalty activities. Which is something I will make notable mention before mentioning Gomez.
    • The two paragraphs then talks about Mahathir taking advantage of the incident and curtailing the powers of the Malaysian monarchy. That checks out.

More comments to come.--ZKang123 (talk) 12:19, 14 August 2023 (UTC)

Done. Arcahaeoindris (talk) 08:45, 17 August 2023 (UTC)

Final years and succession (1998–2003)

  • By the mid-1990s, it became clear that the most serious threat to Mahathir's power was Anwar's leadership ambition. – By the mid-1990s, Anwar's leadership ambition was seen as the most serious threat to Mahathir's power (also indicate who said that)
  • appearing to suggest – suggesting
  • "until their relationship collapsed dramatically during the Asian financial" – "until the collapse of their relationship during the..."
  • "While Mahathir had vanquished his rival, it came at a cost to his international community and domestic politics" – Would rewrite to: "Anwar's conviction drew criticism from the international community and a loss in domestic support for the ruling coalition"
  • "to fight the 1999 election" – "to contest in the 1999 election"
  • " large numbers of Malay voters flocked to PAS and Keadilan, many in protest at the treatment of Anwar." – " large numbers of Malays voted for PAS or Keadilan in protest at the treatment of Anwar."
  • "debate was caused by Mahathir's announcement that Malaysia was already an Islamic state." – "debate aroused after Mahathir announced that"
    • I might further elaborate on this debate
  • "In a speech made before the Organization of the Islamic Conference shortly before he left office, Mahathir claimed "the Jews rule the world by proxy: They get others to fight and die for them." His speech was denounced by President George W. Bush." – tbh, I don't see how is this very relevant in this section, but more likely under a potential subsection of Mahathir's anti-semitism and views.

More to come.--ZKang123 (talk) 01:48, 15 August 2023 (UTC)

Done. Moved speech to section on antisemitism. Arcahaeoindris (talk) 08:35, 17 August 2023 (UTC)

Foreign relations

  • "Malaysia's relationship with the West was collaborative" – "Mahathir maintained a collaborative relationship with the West"
  • Remove "known as"
  • " sparked a boycott " - led to a boycott
  • "It also led to a search for development models in Asia, most notably Japan. This was the beginning of his "Look East Policy"." – "It also led to a search for development models in Asia, most notably Japan, as part of his "Look East Policy"."
  • "Mahathir's relationship with Australia and his relationship with Australia's political leaders was particularly rocky. " - "Mahathir's relationship with Australia and its political leaders was particularly rocky."
  • "Relationships between Mahathir and Australia's leaders reached a low point in 1993" – just go with "Relations"
  • "during the George W. Bush presidency." – remove "the"
  • "Mahathir made a speech condemning the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, suggesting its revision, and citing greater importance of economic growth over civil liberties." – "Mahathir condemned the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and suggested revising the Declaration to place greater importance on economic growth over civil liberties."
  • I find the foreign relations section rather lacking. Like, there's a photograph of Mahathir with Putin, I thought you'll mention about his relationship with Putin. And his "Look east policy" - perhaps you can also elaborate his relationship with China and Japan too.

More to come.--ZKang123 (talk) 03:13, 19 August 2023 (UTC)

Done Arcahaeoindris (talk) 09:37, 20 August 2023 (UTC)
A lot more research is still needed for Mahathir's foreign policy during his first premiership. However, this is something I will leave for post-GA.--ZKang123 (talk) 09:39, 20 August 2023 (UTC)
Indeed! I'll try and add a bit more if I can during this process, but there are at least two whole books on this topic (here and here) so getting a decent summary will be tricky. Arcahaeoindris (talk) 11:13, 20 August 2023 (UTC)

Post-first term premiership (2003–2015)

  • "With much stronger religious credentials than Mahathir, he could beat back PAS's surge in the 1999 election and lead the Barisan Nasional in the 2004 election to its biggest win ever, taking 199 of 219 parliamentary seats." – "With stronger religious credentials than Mahathir, he beat back PAS's surge in the 1999 election and lead the Barisan Nasional in the 2004 election to its biggest win ever, taking 199 of 219 parliamentary seats."
  • "Mahathir and Abdullah had a major fallout over Proton in 2005. " – I might elaborate a bit more on the fallout. Is it related to Abdullah allowing the import of more foreign cars? If so, I will include that
  • "Mahathir complained that his views were not getting sufficient airing by the Malaysian press, the freedom of which he had curtailed while prime minister: he had been named one of the "Ten Worst Enemies of the Press" by the Committee to Protect Journalists for his restrictions on newspapers and occasional imprisonment of journalists."
    • Might simplify this sentence. "Mahathir complained that his views were not getting sufficient airing by the Malaysian press. Ironically, he had been named one of the "Ten Worst Enemies of the Press" by the Committee to Protect Journalists (when?) for his restrictions on newspapers and occasional imprisonment of journalists under his premiership."

More to come. --ZKang123 (talk) 07:51, 20 August 2023 (UTC)

Return to politics (2015–2018)

  • I might suggest shifting the paragraphs on Mahathir's thoughts on LKY's death under his foreign relations Singapore subsection. I know it's post-premiership, but I think it's more relevant there as he also reflects on his personal friendship with LKY, despite their rivalry
  • "He was proposed as the coalition's possible chairman and prime ministerial candidate. He assumed the position of chairman on 14 July 2017."
    • First state who endorsed him (substitute proposed to endorsed)
    • Also will add about Anwar's faction being wary of Mahathir's entry in politics, as mentioned in FN144.
  • Done. Arcahaeoindris (talk) 18:53, 20 August 2023 (UTC)

Sources

I see plenty of source formatting issues. Version reviewed.

  • FN6: Website name should be "New Straits Times". Title should just be: "Tun M, Father of Modern Malaysia"
  • FN10 is dead. (mark url-status dead) Publisher should be Tourism Malaysia, title remove | Tourism Malaysia
  • Add retrieved date (today) for FN 11
  • FN 12: Title should be The Spokesman – Mahathir Mohamad
  • FN16 is dead
  • FN88 The Star should be under work/website parameter. Use agency parameter (if using cite news template) for Associated Press
  • FN91 reformat per cite book
  • FN112, 127 New Straits Times. (without The)
  • FN115 add retrieved date (today)
  • FN129 isn't necessary (given attached speech in FN130)
  • FN131 URL status is dead. Add SG Yahoo in website parameter
  • FN132 website parameter should be Malay Mail. Remove it from title. Add article date
  • FN133 switch from publisher to work/website parameter for Channel NewsAsia. Add article date
  • FN134 also for Straits Times. The Straits Times.
  • FN136 Add Business Times as work/website (work if cite news, website if cite web)
  • FN137 remove Chedet and arrow from title
  • FN138 add South China Morning Post as website name
  • FN140, 144 add article date
  • FN141 add The Straits Times, article date
  • FN142 remove "FMT News"
  • FN145 article title is just "Anwar credits Wan Azizah, Siti Hasmah for reconciliation with Mahathir". Add article date (17 May 2018), The Straits Times as work/website
  • FN146 The Star change to website/work. Add article date. Similar for FN147, 148, 153, 154, 155
  • FN157, 160 use website parameter
  • FN158 add access-date and website should be Malay Mail Also FN169
  • FN159 also add access date
  • FN167, 168 add article date
  • FN170 should be The Diplomat

This is all I can go through, but help check the other half of the references.--ZKang123 (talk) 13:27, 20 August 2023 (UTC)

24 August 2023

As much as I wish to help this article attain GA status, halfway through reviewing, I regret to say I find this article still contains various ungrammatical and unecyclopedic prose and source formatting issues. The point of a GA review is not to hand-hold editors until their article is up to an acceptable standard, but instead point out small mistakes that help polish up the work; the number of issues listed in my above review was well above the minimum that other reviewers would use to quick-fail a nomination.

Personally, I find this article gives quite a lot more weight to his recent political life than his first premiership. This might be understandable given more accessible coverage, but some details could be better summarised.

I will like to present two options:

  • Either I will put the article on hold and have you polish up the article on your own in the seven days.
  • Or allow me to fail this article and have this article undergo a thorough copyedit from WP:GOCE before re-appearing at GAN again.

These are my general thoughts. The article could still see better polish, and having it copyedited thoroughly would benefit it a lot.--ZKang123 (talk) 00:25, 24 August 2023 (UTC)

Thank you very much for your thoughts and feedback. I am happy to put the review on hold give it a copyedit in its current form, if you think that would help its chances of becoming a GA.
On undue weight to recent premiership and political career, I will summarise some of the content (especially post-premiership). It's also possible some content can be moved to the newly created article Second premiership of Mahathir Mohamad and summarised here. If this last point is essential for GA status, I would rather it was failed as this could be a big job. Please let me know your thoughts. Arcahaeoindris (talk) 11:36, 25 August 2023 (UTC)
I will see how it goes, but I personally very much doubt even in the seven days the article would be polished to an acceptable standard for GAN. Putting article on hold for now.--ZKang123 (talk) 11:43, 25 August 2023 (UTC)
I see that the article improved significantly. But I don't think it's really in the right shape for GA at this point, as I still find various source formatting issues. The foreign relations section of his second premiership could be better summarised, especially I don't find it relevant of his statement that Carrie Lam should resign, for instance.
I will bring this to second opinion, and see what another nominator would think of this article. I'm afraid I'm still unsure whether to pass, or even fail this entirely given your efforts to improve this article.--ZKang123 (talk) 01:45, 2 September 2023 (UTC)
ZKang123, I saw the request for a second opinion on this. I have not yet had time to read through the article but having looked at the first couple of sections I don't see prose problems yet of a level that would prevent promotion to GA. Re source formatting: there are very few source formatting requirements for GA -- see footnote 3 in WP:GACR. I don't see anything in the source formatting that is not at GA standard. I may have time to read more of the prose tomorrow if you'd like more feedback on the prose quality. Mike Christie (talk - contribs - library) 01:59, 2 September 2023 (UTC)
Hi @ZKang123: and @Mike Christie: - did you have any further feedback on this? Arcahaeoindris (talk) 14:40, 31 October 2023 (UTC)

From myself, nothing else.--ZKang123 (talk) 02:54, 1 November 2023 (UTC)

ZKang123, I provided the second opinion as you requested. As the original reviewer you are the one who should either pass or fail this. Do you want additional comments from me before doing so? Mike Christie (talk - contribs - library) 09:52, 1 November 2023 (UTC)


Oh Im unaware. I thought its the second reviewer who decides whether to pass. Alright, since everything else is good, I decided to pass.--ZKang123 (talk) 09:53, 1 November 2023 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Did you know nomination

The following is an archived discussion of the DYK nomination of the article below. Please do not modify this page. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as this nomination's talk page, the article's talk page or Misplaced Pages talk:Did you know), unless there is consensus to re-open the discussion at this page. No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was: promoted by 97198 talk 12:43, 24 November 2023 (UTC)

( )

Improved to Good Article status by Arcahaeoindris (talk). Self-nominated at 12:53, 1 November 2023 (UTC). Post-promotion hook changes for this nom will be logged at Template talk:Did you know nominations/Mahathir Mohamad; consider watching this nomination, if it is successful, until the hook appears on the Main Page.

General: Article is new enough and long enough
Policy: Article is sourced, neutral, and free of copyright problems
Hook: Hook has been verified by provided inline citation
QPQ: Done.
Overall: ALT0 and ALT1 seem interesting, ALT2 is a bit meh. AryKun (talk) 10:21, 10 November 2023 (UTC)


"Allegations of antisemitism"

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.
UK Muslim leaders ‘inspired’ by antisemitic ex-Malaysian prime minister - The Jewish Chronicle, 2023
'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.")
A defiant Malaysian PM defends his anti-Semitism in the name of free speech - Times of Israel, 2019
Malaysian PM Mahathir Confirms Himself as Oldest Anti-Semitic Leader in the World - Simon Wiesenthal Center, 2018
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)

Doctor (Dr.) title

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

The introduction to Mahathir Mohamad's political views is too long

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)
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