Tuesday 20/05/2025

^{Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad signs the mock book and formally introduces the publication. Also seen in this photo is Puan Zarina Abu Bakar, Chief Executive Officer of the Perdana Leadership Foundation}



PUTRAJAYA, May 20 (Bernama) -- What drives economic development and what traits do leaders need to have to make a nation prosperous? These questions, and more, are addressed by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad in the latest publication by Perdana Leadership Foundation, “A Conversation with Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad: A Legacy of Leadership and Vision”, officially launched on Monday, 19th May 2025, in Putrajaya.  

Part of Perdana Leadership Foundation’s ongoing Oral History Series in which conversations with past and present leaders are held, the publication presents the conversations between Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad and two interviewers: Dato’ Seri Dr Vaseehar Hassan, trustee of Perdana Leadership Foundation, and Mr Eddin Khoo, founder of PUSAKA.

At the book launch, Tan Sri Azman Hashim, Chairman of PLF’s Board of Trustees, said in his Welcome Address: “There is a lot that Tun has shared in the conversations that took place between 2020 and 2023, and this book carries them all, covering topics that include Malaysia’s economic policies through various eras, the wealth divide, technology adoption, corruption, globalisation, and leadership. The depth and breadth of Tun’s knowledge and insights are evident in this publication.”

The event featured a Special Dialogue themed “Challenges of Economic Development in the 21st Century” in which Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad shared his thoughts on the topic with Dato' Seri Dr Vaseehar Hassan, and economist Dr Muhammed Abdul Khalid, Research Fellow at IKMAS, UKM and Fellow at the World Inequality Lab, Paris School of Economics.

During the session, Tun Dr Mahathir emphasised the need for the right culture and value system, quality education, and strong ethics to drive effective nation-building.

He elaborated on the critical role of culture and values in determining a nation’s success, sharing a personal reflection from his time as Prime Minister:

“As Prime Minister, I visited many countries and saw that while some thrived, others remained poor. It wasn’t due to resources or climate, but culture. Japan, its economy forced to open by the West, quickly modernised—driven by values that pushed them to adapt and compete. In Malaysia, however, when foreigners arrived with better skills, we often withdrew rather than competed. The Japanese responded to Western power by growing stronger not by retreating. This contrast shows how cultural values shape national progress. A nation’s success depends on its value system: strong values bring advancement; weak ones lead to decline. We must choose carefully whom to emulate.”

The session was made even livelier during the Q&A where members of the audience took the opportunity to pose their questions to Tun Dr Mahathir on topics such as the Look East Policy, education, the US-China trade war, and the role of youth in developing a country. More than 300 people attended the event, including university students and faculty. The event was also graced by the presence of YABhg Tun Dr Hasmah Hj Mohd Ali.  

“A Conversation with Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad: A Legacy of Leadership and Vision”, a compilation of Tun Dr Mahathir’s views and reflections on development, leadership, and other issues, is available in hardcover and softcover at the Foundation as well as in selected bookstores. For more information, visit www.perdana.org.my.

About the Publication

A Conversation with Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad A Legacy of Leadership and Vision

This publication offers an exploration of the vision, strategies, and policies that guided Malaysia’s transformation into one of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic economies. Through a series of candid conversations with Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad, Malaysia’s longest-serving and twice-elected Prime Minister who steered the nation through its modernisation and transformation in the 1980s and 1990s, readers will gain deeper insights into Malaysia’s development journey as well as its challenges, past, and current.

Tun Dr Mahathir also shares his insights on other crucial topics, including corruption, ethnic relations, leadership, as well as regional and global issues.

This book provides a deep understanding of the thoughts, leadership, and legacy of Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad.

About the Organiser and Publisher

Perdana Leadership Foundation
www.perdana.org.my

The Foundation is a non-profit organisation established in January 2003 to document, disseminate, research, and archive materials related to the past Prime Ministers of Malaysia, and nation-building. The Foundation intends to become the premier institution for the study of Malaysia’s Prime Ministers and the central resource centre for research into national stewardship as well as a platform for reflection, debate, and discussion with distinguished figures in Malaysian leadership. Our Honorary President is the fourth and seventh Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. To date, we have digitised more than 500k materials, half of which are available for free through our website www.perdana.org.my. Membership of our Perdana Library is free, and members also get to enjoy the library’s physical facilities located in a cosy enclave in Precinct 8, Putrajaya.  

SOURCE: Perdana Leadership Foundation

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: 
Name: Nurul Humaira Kamarulzaman
Designation: Executive, Events and Publications
Tel: 03 - 8885 8960
Email: humaira@perdana.org.my, nhkperdana@gmail.com  
 
Name: Muizzuddin Munir
Designation: Coordinator, Communications and Publications
Tel: 03 - 8885 8979
Email: muizzuddin@perdana.org.my, muizmunir2@gmail.com

--BERNAMA