Portrait of Mahathir Mohamad
Center-right · Leader · From history

Mahathir Mohamad

Prime Minister of Malaysia, 1981 to 2003 and 2018 to 2020

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Modernized Malaysia with heavy industry and skyscrapers over 22 years, imposed capital controls during the 1997 to 98 Asian crisis and returned at 92 to win a shock election in 2018.

Mahathir Mohamad sits in the right-authoritarian part of the Caucus economy and liberty compass: centered on economy and strongly authoritarian. The clearest positions are strongly authoritarian on liberty and authority, strongly nationalist on nation and leaning tech-optimist on technology. The profile is close to the middle on economy.

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Where Mahathir Mohamad sits on ten dimensions

Each scale runs from one pole to the other, and the dot shows the overall tendency of this person's record and public life. These are simplified estimates and open to debate.

💰EconomyCentered on economy
State-ledFree market
⚖️Liberty and authorityStrongly authoritarian
LibertarianAuthoritarian
🎭CultureLeaning traditional
ProgressiveTraditional
🌍NationStrongly nationalist
GlobalistNationalist
🌱EnvironmentLeaning growth-first
Growth-firstNature-first
🤖TechnologyLeaning tech-optimist
Tech-cautiousTech-optimist
🕊️War and peaceSlightly strength-first
Peace-firstStrength-first
🏛️InstitutionsSlightly institutional
Anti-establishmentInstitutional
🙏ReligionLeaning religious
SecularReligious
🛡️InterventionismSlightly interventionist
Non-interventionistInterventionist

People most like Mahathir Mohamad

Anwar Sadat President of Egypt, 1970 to 198199%Hun Manet Prime Minister of Cambodia, 2023 to present99%Emmerson Mnangagwa President of Zimbabwe, 2017 to present99%Daniel Chapo President of Mozambique, 2025 to present99%Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh Prime Minister of Libya’s Government of National Unity, 2021 to present99%Samia Suluhu Hassan President of Tanzania, 2021 to present99%Muhammad Ali Jinnah Founder of Pakistan, 1947 to 194899%Jomo Kenyatta President of Kenya, 1964 to 197899%

People furthest from Mahathir Mohamad

Emma Goldman Russian-born anarchist and writer, 1869 to 19406%Murray Bookchin American social theorist, 1921 to 20067%John Lennon British musician and peace activist, 1940 to 19809%Peter Kropotkin Russian anarchist and naturalist, 1842 to 192110%

Political views closest to Mahathir Mohamad

CorporatismOrganizes society into industry and professional bodies that bargain with the state, an…99%GaullismA French tradition of national independence, a strong presidency and a leading role for…98%Economic nationalismUses tariffs, subsidies and industrial policy to protect and grow domestic industry.96%One-nation conservatismA paternalist conservatism holding that the better off owe duties to the poor and to…95%

Read more about Mahathir Mohamad

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Biographies of Mahathir MohamadBooks on corporatism

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Percentages show how close two profiles are across all ten dimensions. Including a person here is for study and comparison, not approval. Portrait: kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; see all photo credits.