Top 90 Mahathir Mohamad Quotes

When you have a prime minister who is corrupt, then you can be sure that a country cannot be anything else but corrupt.

I am the first authoritarian government elected to become a dictator and then resigning as a dictator. So this is the first dictator in the world who has resigned while still quite healthy.

If Australia wants to be a friend of Asia, it should stop behaving as if it is there to teach us how to run our country.

If we keep on raking up the past, you can never work with anybody. You will always be fighting against your enemies, and that is bad.

A country without engineering skill and knowledge will never become a developed country.

The Malays are spiritually inclined, tolerant, and easy-going. The non-Malays, and especially the Chinese, are materialistic, aggressive, and have an appetite for work. For equality to come about, it is necessary that these strikingly contrasting races adjust to each other.

It is not true at all that a free market will ensure a democracy. It doesn’t. There must be a balance between a free market and some regulations which are essential in order to safeguard the interests of consumers and of people in general.

The little Napoleons in UMNO try to keep out people who are more intelligent than themselves.

The Chinese are welcome to invest in industries in Malaysia. But just as we would not welcome mass immigration of Indians or Pakistanis or Europeans or Africans into Malaysia, we have to adopt the same stance on Chinese immigration into Malaysia.

In Asia, we live within our means. So when we are poor, we live as poor people. I think that is a lesson that Europe can learn from Asia.

Planning means looking ahead.

The West only talks about how you can militarily defeat the terrorists, but terrorists are very difficult to defeat because they can appear anywhere.

Democracy must be internally generated. You cannot force it from the top – it’s not going to work.

Malaysia has got all the things in place to continue growth: the policies are there; the mechanisms are there. So, I think even when I am not around, Malaysia can do with other people who are converse with our policies.

Free press is not absolute. In this country, we say clearly if you start stirring up racial hatred, then we will put a stop to it. We might even close down your paper, because these things can only lead to a lot of riots and bloodshed.

In Malaysia, trials have always been fair.

There is no such thing as absolute freedom of the press, not even in the most advanced countries in the world. There are things you just don’t say, because it will destabilise the environment.

I was forced to say, ‘I will not censor the Internet.’ But I was never convinced.

There are certain things that we can deal with by following the rules. But at times, we find the rules restrict you from doing the right things. On such occasions, we have to rethink – either you change the rules or break the rules.

When the planes crashed into the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001, Bush immediately identified what he thought was the true cause. It was because the Muslims were jealous of the freedom of the American people. It was because the Muslims were poor. This exposes a lack of understanding of things on his part.

Planning means looking ahead.

If you want to be honest with yourself, you have to take criticism, even if you attract adverse comments from others.

I don’t care how sacred is freedom, but I think the time has come for governments, at least the Malaysian government, to censor the Internet.

The Internet is undermining moral values.

When the people believe that the print media and the government-controlled TV are not really reporting what is happening, then people turn away from them, and their next resort is, of course, to access the Internet and what they can get on the Internet.

Jews rule the world by proxy.

The Internet is undermining moral values.

I want to leave UMNO because it is no longer UMNO. It is a party dedicated to supporting Mr. Najib, to protecting Mr. Najib, to upholding whatever it is that he does, including some of the wrong things that he has done. I cannot be a member of such a party.

The West only talks about how you can militarily defeat the terrorists, but terrorists are very difficult to defeat because they can appear anywhere.

Affirmative action is not something that the World Bank believes in or promotes.

Most Americans, I think, know very little about East Asia or Southeast Asia. American businesspeople who have been here, they are very knowledgeable about this area, but the average American? No.

The government seems to be set on bankrupting Proton and selling it off, because I think it is regarded as my baby.

If Australia wants to be a friend of Asia, it should stop behaving as if it is there to teach us how to run our country.

I don’t believe that you should punish the people of Iraq because you don’t like their leader. Saddam Hussein is not being punished. He’s fat, and he is eating enough food and living in palaces. But his people are punished by denying them food and medicine.

I achieved too little result from my principal task, the task of making my race a race that is respected, a race that is honourable, a race that is highly regarded.

I don’t care much whether people remember me or not. If people remember, well and good. If they don’t remember, it’s alright – I’m dead anyway.

Being a medical practitioner enables me to get in touch with people, understand their problems, feel sympathetic towards them, and the natural thing is to want to help them, and if you become a politician and if you are successful, you can help them even more.

I know I’m not popular with all the people. Remember, I am ‘cruel‘ or a ‘pharaoh.’ That’s all right. In politics, you get called all types of names.

In the eyes of the world, Malaysia has become a pariah state, a state where anyone can be hauled up and questioned by the police, detained, and charged through abusing laws of the country.

Justice is the most important thing. In a plural society like Malaysia, you cannot have two laws – one law for the Muslim, one law for the non-Muslim.

A lawyer wants to get his client off the hook. And even if he knows the client is guilty, he is going to find ways and means of getting him off the hook.

I want to leave UMNO because it is no longer UMNO. It is a party dedicated to supporting Mr. Najib, to protecting Mr. Najib, to upholding whatever it is that he does, including some of the wrong things that he has done. I cannot be a member of such a party.

When the British ruled Malaysia, they burnt millions of acres of Malaysian forests so that they could plant rubber.

When I was first named as Deputy Prime Minister, there was a feeling of shock that I should be chosen because I was labeled as being an ultra and very anti-Chinese.

When I was first named as Deputy Prime Minister, there was a feeling of shock that I should be chosen because I was labeled as being an ultra and very anti-Chinese.

Suppose a part of Britain or a part of America was taken away and given to the Jews as Israel. Do you think the Americans are going to sit quietly and say ‘Welcome,’ and all that? They won‘t.

I don’t care how sacred is freedom, but I think the time has come for governments, at least the Malaysian government, to censor the Internet.

Malaysia is particularly sensitive: we have three races here and 29 different tribes. If you allow people to say what they like, there will be violence, confrontations, and all that. We need stability.

There’s no point in treating a currency like a commodity, devaluing it artificially and causing a lot of poverty among poor countries.

Justice is the most important thing. In a plural society like Malaysia, you cannot have two laws – one law for the Muslim, one law for the non-Muslim.

I am not anti-European. I have many friends and acquaintances who are Europeans.

It is always the right of the mighty which prevails over the weak, and that is very primitive.

When the planes crashed into the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001, Bush immediately identified what he thought was the true cause. It was because the Muslims were jealous of the freedom of the American people. It was because the Muslims were poor. This exposes a lack of understanding of things on his part.

Doctors look after me. But, basically, I look after myself. I don’t overeat. I don’t develop a big paunch. I do a little bit of exercise. At the same time, I believe that if you don’t work, you will decay. The decay process is through not using your faculties – not using your brain, not using your body.

If India is not too democratic, it will be like China in terms of development.

It would seem the people who want to preserve the Penans’ way of life are condemning them to a life full of diseases and a shorter life span.

A lawyer wants to get his client off the hook. And even if he knows the client is guilty, he is going to find ways and means of getting him off the hook.

Forcing some countries to accept democracy is something that should not be done.

Australia is not a safe place.

The Jews are not merely hook-nosed but understand money instinctively.

Quite a few people who are in the media and in control of the big money seem to want to see these Southeast Asian countries – and, in particular, Malaysia – stop trying to catch up with their superiors and to know their place.

Sudden change, even if it is for the good, is disruptive.

We have had dealings with terrorists for a long time. From 1948 until 1990, we had domestic terrorism because the pro-communist groups wanted to overthrow the colonial government.

If you want to be honest with yourself, you have to take criticism, even if you attract adverse comments from others.

There’s no point in treating a currency like a commodity, devaluing it artificially and causing a lot of poverty among poor countries.

I don’t care much whether people remember me or not. If people remember, well and good. If they don’t remember, it’s alright – I’m dead anyway.

When developing countries go to the WTO and register their protest over things, they should be heard. Their views should be considered by the rich countries.

The West is very impatient. You want overnight change.

The biggest mistake that I have made in my life is choosing Najib.

I expect every prime minister to have his own imprint.

You can be a liberal and accept same-sex marriage and all that, but that’s your business.

Why do I want to remove Najib? I should have thought the whole world would know. This man steals money. Not a few hundred dollars, not a few thousand dollars – he stole billions of dollars, and that has been verified by investigations here in Malaysia and the U.S.

I’ve had quite a long time in government, and I’ve learned a few things.

Jews rule the world by proxy.

I am not anti-European. I have many friends and acquaintances who are Europeans.

We say less things about Australians than Australians say about us, calling me a dictator, authoritarian government.

Big corporations don’t just belong to one person or two persons but to a whole nation. If you let big corporations fail, then a lot of people are going to suffer.

Whenever I am asked who I admire most among the leaders I have met, I have no hesitation in naming Nelson Mandela.

I know I’m not popular with all the people. Remember, I am ‘cruel‘ or a ‘pharaoh.’ That’s all right. In politics, you get called all types of names.

I achieved too little result from my principal task, the task of making my race a race that is respected, a race that is honourable, a race that is highly regarded.

Doctors look after me. But, basically, I look after myself. I don’t overeat. I don’t develop a big paunch. I do a little bit of exercise. At the same time, I believe that if you don’t work, you will decay. The decay process is through not using your faculties – not using your brain, not using your body.

In my years, I had the opportunity to observe peoples and countries. I see some countries doing well, others failing, and my analysis of things is that whether you fail or succeed is a function of your value system.

Most Americans, I think, know very little about East Asia or Southeast Asia. American businesspeople who have been here, they are very knowledgeable about this area, but the average American? No.

All leaders must have some power. Without power, you can’t be a leader.

If you look at the Malaysian media, you will find that, although some are supportive of the government, many are not, and they are very critical of the government.

As far as Malaysia is concerned, Singapore is a foreign country.

I assume that people react to things as I would react. For example, if you are nice to people, they should be nice to you.

When you are in the government, you have to demonise your opposition.

As a doctor, you are out on call most nights, so you don’t get continuous sleep, and that becomes something that is familiar to you. So, working hard doesn’t bother me.

A heretic can be tolerated. But a heresy cannot.