13 hours ago
Longest serving Malaysian prime minister unrelenting as he approaches 100th birthday
Malaysia's former Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad spoke to ITV News Reporter Mahatir Pasha.
At his offices in Putrajaya - the administrative capital he built, around an hour's drive from central Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - I met my namesake, Mahathir bin Mohamad.
Despite being 99 years old, Mahathir remains a towering figure in Malaysian and Southeast Asian politics. As Malaysia's longest-serving Prime Minister, he has shaped the nation's destiny across two remarkable premierships.
First elected in 1981, he led the country for 22 consecutive years, overseeing a sweeping economic transformation.
Then, in 2018 - at the age of 92 - he staged a stunning political comeback, becoming the world's oldest elected leader.
Today, he no longer holds office, but remains deeply involved in public life through his foundation and political campaigns.
In his study, Mahathir pores over handwritten notes and books - ever the student of politics. He is, unmistakably, still driven.
'Without fatal diseases, a person should really live a long time,' he told ITV News, with a matter-of-fact tone. 'Provided, of course, that he has a certain discipline.'
'You should behave as if you are okay, you are well, you are doing work, you are meeting people, talking, writing, reading,' he said. 'Because the muscles of the body and the brain regress if you don't use them.'
Asked for the secret to his longevity, Mahathir shrugs off the notion of a secret altogether. He eats 'everything', he said, but is careful not to gain weight.
'I've kept my weight at about 62 kilos for the past 40 years,' he added, proudly.
Having grown up with his name, I've become used to the polarised reactions it evokes - from admiration to discomfort. It's a reminder of just how divisive this man remains.
A political career spanning over seven decades, coupled with his famously blunt style, has earned Mahathir a reputation as both visionary and provocateur.
He's credited with turning Malaysia into an economic powerhouse, but has also drawn criticism for his combative approach and controversial remarks. He doesn't shy away from conflict - or from speaking his mind.
On the global stage, he's long been critical of Western powers - and continues to be. He was no fan of Donald Trump's tariffs and believes they will ultimately hurt the United States more than its trading partners.
'I've given Trump three months before he negotiates to reduce the tariff,' he told me. 'If there is no America, the world has to go on.'
Mahatir urges countries to pivot towards other global players like China and Russia, declaring: 'Most of the products of America can be produced by others.'
And in a geopolitical pivot he sees as inevitable, Mahathir said it is now China's turn to lead the world.
'Any country which develops well can dominate the world,' he said, brushing off concerns about China's growing assertiveness, including its posture on Taiwan.
But perhaps no issue reveals Mahathir's ire towards the West more than the war in Gaza.
'It's a genocide,' he said bluntly. 'America is a hypocritical nation… it talks about human rights but supports genocide by Israel - by providing money and weapons to Israel to kill Gazan people.'
'America is as guilty of genocide as Israel."
Asked for his view of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Mahathir doesn't hold back.
'He's an animal,' he said. 'He doesn't think like human beings. He thinks that killing people is a solution to the so-called safety of Israel. He should be in jail.'
We reached out to the Netanyahu's office for a response but they declined to comment on Mahathir's remarks.
But Mahathir - who prides himself on his prominence in the Islamic world - doesn't spare his fellow Muslims from criticism either.
'I admit that Muslims are to be blamed also,' he said. 'We call ourselves Muslim, but we don't follow the teachings of Islam… If you follow the way of life found in the Quran, this situation will not happen.'
Wealthy Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are singled out.
'God has given us the wealth,' he said, 'but we are not following the teachings of Islam.'
On the UK - a nation with close ties to Malaysia during his early premiership - his assessment is equally forthright.
'The UK is a poodle. It just submits to what America says,' he said. 'It is no longer the great power it once was. So I don't think much about the UK.'
Turning to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Mahathir puts the blame squarely on NATO, accusing the alliance of provoking the war.
'NATO simply provided the money and arms for Ukraine to fight. But it is Ukraine which has to bear the full brunt of the war,' he said. 'Ukraine is now flattened.'
He does not condemn Russia's invasion and praises the country's resilience, saying: 'Russia may lose a million people or 10 million people, but Russia is one country that has not been conquered despite many attempts."
Closer to home, Mahathir says Malaysia has done more than its fair share to support the persecuted Rohingya community fleeing Myanmar.
'We have no capacity,' he said. 'What do you expect us to do? Attack Myanmar? We can't do that.'
'We have already done a lot… It's time other countries also solve the problem.'
Despite being hailed by his supporters as a reformer, an economic visionary, and the "father of modernisation," Mahathir remains a deeply polarising figure.
He is widely criticised for his authoritarian approach, particularly his crackdown on political opponents - most notably Anwar Ibrahim, the current prime minister - as well as for making remarks that have been condemned as anti-Semitic and racially inflammatory.
He championed the idea of Malay supremacy, giving lucrative business opportunities to select Malay businessmen, which critics called cronyism.
But the 99-year old remains unrelenting.
"They can accuse me of anything. But the thing is, you have to prove it."
In April last year, the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission launched a probe into Mahathir and his sons - an investigation which the nonagenarian has dismissed as politically charged.
"The problem is that the present government would like to put me in jail," the elder statesman said, "but they cannot find an excuse."
"They still couldn't prove that I've stolen any money simply because I didn't steal any money. And they couldn't get at me, so they went for my children."
When asked if he was worried about going to prison at his ripe age, Mahathir concedes he is, but, ever the politician, he pivots: "my worry is mainly about my own people, my own race."
"I am a Malay," he added, "This is my country. I work for my country, not for myself."
"What happens to me doesn't matter", he said. "I know I'm going to die soon."
"But what I can do while I'm still alive, I will do."
As Mahathir nears his 100th birthday next month, he remains as active and outspoken as ever.
So how does a man who received his country's highest honour - the title of Tun - and was once named one of TIME magazine's 100 most influential people have to say about his legacy?
'I don't care about that,' he said with a smile. 'I don't want my name to be remembered by people they can forget about me.'
'I'm just passing through.'
Any regrets?
Many, he admits - chief among them, stepping down in 2003 after his first term.
'I thought young people would take over and continue the policies,' he said. 'But the moment I stepped down, they changed them. The country, once known as an Asian tiger, has now become a kleptocracy.'
Mahathir Mohamad turns 100 on July 10.
