Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times Read online

  Even as Dr. Mahathir prepared to move out of Kuala Lumpur, he sought to upgrade it into a more cosmopolitan commercial capital befitting the Malaysia of his dreams. Founded as a bedraggled tin-mining town in 1857, Kuala Lumpur was still largely an urban hodgepodge more than a century later. Officially made the capital of Selangor state in 1880, replacing the port of Klang, it became the capital of Malaya/Malaysia, but was granted city status only in 1972 and declared a federal territory two years later. By separating Kuala Lumpur from surrounding Selangor, the government ensured that the capital could not be controlled by an opposition party, at the same time weakening Chinese influence in the state. The first time Dr. Mahathir caught sight of Kuala Lumpur, he thought it very bleak. "I said, 'why don't you plant trees?' I kept on saying this but it never happened...until you have the authority to say, 'Plant!'"[38]

  Armed with prime ministerial authority, Dr. Mahathir did a great deal to create a greener capital immediately after he came to power in 1981. In 1997, he ordered Malaysians to start planting seriously, with the target of adding three million trees throughout the country by 2000 — Kuala Lumpur's quota was 220,000 — and 20 million by 2020. An interim goal was to create a garden nation by 2005. The campaign got a boost on 15 October 2000, World Habitat Day, when Dr. Mahathir joined many other Malaysians in planting 110,461 trees in just one minute. Sure enough, it was sufficient to claim a world record, dwarfing the previous best effort, 24,199 trees planted in a week, set in Sao Paolo, Brazil, in 1976.

  Acting as the de facto lord mayor, Dr. Mahathir took a personal interest in Kuala Lumpur's transformation, nothing being too small to overlook. According to Chandran Jeshurun, an academic who researched a book on the capital,[39] Dr. Mahathir paid close attention to heritage conservation and directly contributed to the preservation of some treasures. One was an old railway station with Moorish-style minarets and domes. It was renovated and extended, "with a very sensitive touch for historical and architectural detail".[40]

  In 1984, Dr. Mahathir offended the local construction industry by insisting that the contract for the Dayabumi complex, a showcase commercial building and then the city's tallest, go to two Japanese companies that were outbid by a Malaysian one. He was less interested in cutting costs than ensuring the realization of the Japanese design, which was visually stunning. "It was a remarkable combination of Islamic motifs and steel structure, and it marked a turning point in Kuala Lumpur's modern heritage," wrote Chandran Jeshurun.[41]

  There followed a succession of noteworthy high-rises, including the Putra World Trade Centre, which housed UMNO's headquarters, the "curvaceous" head office of the Pilgrims Fund Board, and next to it the "uniquely Malaysian design" of the National Equity Corporation headquarters.[42] The Kuala Lumpur Tower, used for communications and containing a revolving restaurant, featured an antenna that soared 421 metres into the tropical sky. On the strength of visits to "nearly every country in the world", Dr. Mahathir expressed the view that it was the most beautiful tower ever built.[43]

  They were heady days for Malaysia's leading architects, a rare chance to let their imaginations soar. One, Ken Yeang, observed that few places had ever seen building of such magnitude and scale. "In the last ten years we have built more, in terms of square footage, than in the last one hundred years...," he said.[44]

  The crowning glory was the 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers, designed by the late Cesar Pelli, the celebrated Argentinian-born American who created New York's World Financial Centre and Canary Wharf in London. With a steel and glass facade evoking traditional Islamic art and architecture — the floor pattern was based on an eight-point star, reduced from 12 points at Dr. Mahathir's suggestion — the building was engineered to the most demanding international standards.[45] The elegantly proportioned, identical slender towers rose in the heart of the capital, linked by a double-decker skybridge at the forty-first and forty-second floors. They were anchored in a six-level, crescent-shaped shopping mall, part of a fully-integrated town called the Kuala Lumpur City Centre, with hotels, condominiums and a public park.

  Pelli did not set out to collect the "world's tallest" tag with the twin towers, until Dr. Mahathir casually raised it with him over tea one afternoon in 1994.[46] It would take an additional 16 metres to match the 443-metre Sears Tower in Chicago. With construction well underway, Pelli frantically re-did the mathematical calculations and deemed it doable, not by increasing the number of floors, but by raising the height of the "pinnacles".[47] From tip to toe, the completed building was almost 452 metres, and it gave Malaysia the excuse to claim another world record — for the continuous pouring of concrete.[48]

  Although the twin towers ran into a definitional dispute over being the tallest building, they were undoubtedly the highest twin towers, and they became identified with Kuala Lumpur as much as the Opera House is with Sydney or the Eiffel Tower with Paris. Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones swung beneath the skybridge in the Hollywood movie Entrapment. Certainly no regional city could boast such a landmark, most definitely not serious and successful Singapore, which preferred safe and sensible structures. "We lack a daring, pioneering spirit," lamented a Singaporean architect as his government turned down a phantasmagorical wave-like design for an integrated resort and casino proposed by acclaimed Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry.[49] Dr. Mahathir backed the twin towers precisely to convey that spirit. "Indeed, they stand out prominently against the skyline of Kuala Lumpur to symbolize courage, ingenuity, initiative and determination, energy, confidence, optimism, advancement and zest of a nation that will bring worldwide recognition and respect to all Malaysians," he said at the opening. It was 31 August 1999, the last national day of the century, the last of the millennium.

  As if to pre-empt the inevitable comments about an edifice complex, Dr. Mahathir conspicuously forbid his name to be attached to any physical feature, man-made or natural. The only trace while he held office was his old MAHA Clinic in Alor Star, which retained the name long after he had abandoned medical practice permanently. "It would be an act of arrogance if I were to allow buildings and so on to be named after me," he said on more than one occasion.[50] Asked bluntly by the foreign press if "all the dams, tall buildings and new cities" appearing in Malaysia were "merely monuments to Mahathir," he replied, "I really don't need any monuments. These are necessities, and they are necessities we can afford."[51]

  Dr. Mahathir would have been more persuasive if he had not encouraged, or at least permitted, the growth of a personality cult.[52] In 2001, his political secretary urged institutions of higher learning to offer a course on the thoughts of the prime minister, a comment considered so noteworthy it was disseminated by Bernama, the national news agency.[53] Other supporters made at least two attempts to obtain a Nobel Prize for him. At the instigation of Minister of Science, Technology and Environment Law Hing Dieng, a fairly high-powered committee in 1999 prepared a formal nomination document that was submitted to the Nobel Foundation in Oslo. And in 2006, Dr. Mahathir's son Mukhriz called a meeting of prominent Malaysians with the idea of building a case for his father to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.[54] While nothing came of these efforts, other initiatives also sought to accord Dr. Mahathir exceptional, personal status. In 1999, a CD entitled "CEO Malaysia Inc.", was made of his major speeches, he featured in a 14-part television dramatization of his life, had an UMNO seminar devoted to "The Thoughts of Dr. Mahathir", and had an album of ten patriotic songs released in his honour. He also accepted a Rotary award as Man of the Millennium.[55]

  While Dr. Mahathir could justify much of the infrastructure to accelerate economic development, he was less than convincing when claiming as essential the colossal investment in skyscrapers and some of the other creations. As his other comments testified, the buildings were supposed to be more than utilitarian. They were meant to impress, to take the breath away and engender awe. Opponents who carped that the money should have been spent instead on education, health, welfare, poverty reduction, public housing,
security or even the environment had a point, but they ignored Dr. Mahathir's point, which was something else entirely. As for the cost, Malaysia could afford his grandiose schemes as long as the economy steamed along, and while the country kept pumping oil and gas.

  At its peak, the surge of new-found confidence was so pervasive that Chandran Jeshurun, the academic researcher, concluded that Malaysia boleh should be translated as "anything you can do I can do better".[56] Amid signs of hubris, Dr. Mahathir increased the tempo of Negaraku, the national anthem, to give it a more martial beat — in keeping with lofty economic goals, as an official put it. He also had the nation's coat of arms touched up to make its two tigers look more rampant.

  Until the economic crisis forced a halt, developers seemed bent on outdoing each other with the expense and expanse of their projects. When the government temporarily suspended the privatization programme in September 1997, proposals totalling about RM90 billion were awaiting approval.[57] It was not just the staggering cost, but the type of venture being contemplated that thrilled or appalled Malaysians, depending on their political and social outlook. Dr. Mahathir had already endorsed Linear City, the world's longest building, a ten-storey, two-kilometre, tunnel-like structure to be built for RM10 billion along and above a river flowing through central Kuala Lumpur. Another plan, costing RM30 billion, involved building a string of artificial islands along the coast of Kedah, on which would be developed a RM2.5 billion airport for Penang and a seaport, as well as industrial, commercial and residential properties. Also proposed was a "mountain highway" to open the rugged interior of peninsular Malaysia to tourism by linking a series of jungled, upland resort areas stretching from Genting Highlands, near Kuala Lumpur, north to Cameron Highlands.

  As economic conditions eased, Dr. Mahathir quietly revived some of his mega-projects, a term he detested, which nevertheless had become part of Malaysia's political lexicon due almost entirely to his efforts. In 2000, the government said it was going ahead with a scaled-down version of Bakun dam: The generating capacity was maintained, but the plan to transmit power by underwater cable was scrapped. Syed Mokhtar Albukhary, who had emerged in two years as one of the country's most influential businessmen, took a controlling stake in the again-privatized venture. Construction of a monorail through downtown Kuala Lumpur, part of the original Linear City proposal, also proceeded.

  But in traumatized, post-crisis Malaysia, where the landscape was strewn with corporate wreckage and deep resentment over government bail-outs, big was no longer so beautiful. For example, public protests thwarted government plans to build a RM1.5 billion incinerator — yes, the biggest of its kind in the world, capable of burning 1,200 tonnes of rubbish a day — at two locations on the outskirts of the capital. When the popular demand was for good governance, transparency and an end to cronyism, yet more record-setting invoked wry humour if not outright cynicism. Typically, one local analyst noted that the Malaysian Parliament, with 93 of its 219 members appointed as ministers, deputy ministers and parliamentary secretaries, had perhaps the world's largest executive, while Malaysia's 33 ministers gave the country a bigger cabinet than Britain, India or Australia. "Maybe this is what we call Malaysia boleh," he wrote.[58]

  From prison, Anwar Ibrahim helped spread the feeling that jingoistic sloganeering had run its course, and that Dr. Mahathir was more concerned with establishing a legacy than tending the national interest. Although it was self-serving for Anwar to discredit Dr. Mahathir, he had a large and loyal following among Malaysians, especially the young, and they resented his dismissal. His eviction from the centre of Dr. Mahathir's inner circle permitted him a certain credibility to describe his long-time mentor's alleged descent into delusional glory:

  Driven by a self-induced frenzy to pursue his megalomaniacal fantasies, he became increasingly divorced from the real world. He could not differentiate the wants and needs of the people from his own egotistical desires. In the last few years, he has become increasingly isolated as he got impatient to get things done so that they would serve as monuments to his majestic rule. Surrounded by sycophantic courtiers, he failed to realize that his ideas were getting obsolete and irrelevant. He has delusions of grandeur and cannot but associate his rule with mega-projects and superlatives — the longest bridge, the tallest building, the grandest airport, the most awesome dam...[59]

  Abdullah Badawi was aware of the changing mood on the ground well before he moved into Seri Perdana. It was in line with his personal philosophy, which was always restrained. "I'm not into big projects," he told a meeting of senior government officials early in 2003.[60] Abdullah cancelled, postponed or downgraded several of Dr. Mahathir's huge commitments, incurring his unyielding enmity. Although Abdullah accepted an invitation in 2006 to launch the tenth edition of the Malaysia Book of Records, the private-sector bible of the think-big movement, he sounded a different tune. While "it is admirable to achieve the biggest, the tallest and the largest of everything, it may not always be meaningful or beneficial" to Malaysia's becoming a fully developed country, Abdullah said. "Malaysians should focus on quality, world-class achievements which will add value to our society, enrich our culture, strengthen our moral fibre and provide strong role models for young Malaysians." He called for a nation of cemerlang, gemilang dan terbilang — excellence, glory and determination.[61] Officially, Malaysia boleh was history.

  Notes

  S. Jayasankaran, "The New Way: Think Small", Far Eastern Economic Review, 6 November, 2003, p. 15.

  Raphael Pura, "Ekran is Tapped to Construct Malaysian Dam", Asian Wall Street Journal, 31 January 1994.

  Mahathir Mohamad, "Views and Thoughts of Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, the Prime Minister of Malaysia", in Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid, ed., Malaysia's Vision 2020: Understanding the Concept, Implications & Challenges, (Petaling Jaya: Pelanduk Publications (M) Sdn. Bhd., 1997), p. 3.

  "International Parachute Expedition to the North Pole 1998", http://www.skypole.ru/north98/north98_e.htm (accessed 6 April 2009).

  Thor Kah Hoong, "For One Brief Moment...", Malay Mail, 19 August 2008, http://www.mmail.com.my/For_one_brief_moment_-d-d-d-.aspx (accessed 5 April 2009).

  S. Jayasankaran and Simon Elegant, "Down to Earth", Far Eastern Economic Review, 23 March 2000, http://www.feer.com/articles/2000/0003_23/p19.html (accessed 23 January 2006).

  Jonathan Kent, "Malaysia's Record-Breaking Obsession", in BBC News, 24 February 2003, http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2793415.stm (accessed 22 January 2007).

  Anil Netto, "Laughing Out of Control", in Aliran Monthly, 2003: 6, p. 22.

  Hannah Beech, "Not the Retiring Type", Time, 29 October 2006, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1552090,00.html (accessed 4 September 2008).

  K. Das, "The Great Divide", Far Eastern Economic Review, 27 November 1981, p. 53.

  "Penang: The Golden Umbilicus 8.4 Miles Over the Sea", Far Eastern Economic Review, 28 August 1981, p. 64.

  Halinah Todd, "The Proton Saga Saga", New Internationalist, No. 195 (May 1989), pp. 14-15.

  Leslie Lopez, "Malaysian Grand Prix Stalls Out as Fans Pass Up Race Tickets", Asian Wall Street Journal, 14 March 200l.

  V.G. Kulkarni, S. Jayasankaran and Murray Hiebert, "Dr. Feelgood", Far Eastern Economic Review, 24 October 1996, p. 18.

  Peh Shing Huei, "Why Hosting F1 is a Winning Formula for Singapore", Straits Times, 2 February 2007.

  Raphael Pura, "Ekran is Tapped to Construct Malaysian Dam".

  Edmund Terence Gomez and Jomo K.S., Malaysia's Political Economy: Politics, Patronage and Profits (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999 edition), pp. 110-11l.

  Raphael Pura, "Ekran is Tapped to Construct Malaysian Dam".

  Ibid.

  Chen May Yee and Raphael Pura, "BHC Projects Flow of Earnings from Dam Deal", Asian Wall Street Journal, 14 May 1997.

  Leslie Lopez, "Malaysian Dam Project Clears Bid-Award, Power-Price Barriers", Asian Wall Street Journal, 14 June 1996.

  Leslie Lopez, "Clash
May Trim Ekran's Profits on Bakun Dam", Asian Wall Street Journal, 18 April 1997.

  Leslie Lopez, "Shareholder Row Delays Malaysian Dam", Asian Wall Street Journal, 30 September 1996.

  Leslie Lopez and Raphael Pura, "Anwar to Defer Large Projects, Cut Spending", Asian Wall Street Journal, 11 September 1997.

  Leslie Lopez, "Building the Future: New City isn't a Capital Idea, Malaysian Critics Complain", Asian Wall Street Journal, 10 June 1999.

  Liew Chin Tong, "Seri Perdana's Cost: 'Now, What Shall We Tell 'em?'", 22 November 2005, http://www.malaysiakini.com/opinions/43423 (accessed 28 August 2008).

  Anwar Ibrahim, "From the Halls of Power to the Labyrinth of Incarceration", letter from Sungai Buloh Prison, 3 November 1998, p. 5.

  Leslie Lopez, "Building the Future: New City isn't a Capital Idea, Malaysian Critics Complain".

  Ibid.

  Liew Chin Tong, "Seri Perdana's Cost: 'Now, What Shall We Tell 'em?'".

  Ibid.

  "Full Version", Malaysiakini interview http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t76432.html (accessed 6 April 2009).

  Both Sri Taman and Sri Perdana in Kuala Lumpur used the old spelling for "sri", while Seri Perdana in Putrajaya was spelled the new way.

  Liew Chin Tong, "Putrajaya", 28 May 2006, http://liewchintong.blogspot.com/2006/05/putrajaya.html (accessed 6 April 2009). Liew won the Bukit Bendera parliamentary constituency for the Democratic Action Party in the 2008 general election.

  Marika Vicziany and Marlia Puteh, "Vision 2020, the Multimedia Supercorridor and Malaysian Universities", proceedings of 15th Biennial Conference of the Asian Studies Association of Australia, Canberra, 29 June-2 July 2004.

  Ibid.