Former Malaysian PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad Turns 101 Years Old

By Danial Martinus • 10 Jul 2026 in News

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Malaysia’s longest-serving Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, turns 101 today.

Over the years, he’s gone by many different names, including Che Det, Dr M, and more widely as Bapa Wawasan or the Father of Modernisation.

While his two runs as PM have had varying degrees of success with their fair share of challenges, it’s safe to say the centenarian has made a lasting impact on Malaysian life.

PM for 24 years across two separate tenures

Born on 10 July 1925 in Alor Setar, Kedah, Mahathir was the first Malaysian Prime Minister to come from neither an aristocratic nor a prominent family. After studying medicine in university, he worked as a government medical officer before going into private practice, thus his “Dr” title.

1964 was the year of his first foray into politics, when he got elected to parliament as a member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). He was then ousted from the party in 1969 due to conflicts with then Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman.

But Mahathir rejoined UMNO a few years later, eventually becoming party president in 1981 and then Prime Minister in the same year.

(source: Hazreen Mohamad / New Straits Times)

In his first run as PM from 1981 to 2003, Mahathir prioritised economic growth, expanding Malaysia’s manufacturing sector and bolstering the middle class with the introduction of the New Development Policy, as well as the Look East Policy, which aimed to emulate the success of East Asia, particularly Japan and South Korea.

His second, shorter tenure (2018 to 2020) led the Pakatan Harapan coalition to a historic victory, ending Barisan Nasional’s (BN) 60-year rule. His focus this time around was primarily centred on the 1MDB scandal, which led to the arrest of disgraced former PM Najib Razak.

During this time, he also facilitated the release of his former deputy-turned political rival Anwar Ibrahim. But Mahathir’s second Premiership came to an abrupt end in 2020, in what would now be infamously known as the “Sheraton Move”.

Other major initiatives under Mahathir’s tenure include Malaysia’s first-ever car manufacturer, Proton, as well as the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, the KL Tower, Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), and the establishment of Putrajaya as Malaysia’s new administrative capital.