Conversations with Mahathir Mohamad Dr M: Operation Malaysia

by Tom Plate

He began his professional career as a family physician but wound up prescribing innovative political medicines for the entire nation that remain controversial even today. Was he exactly the bold and fearless policy doctor that the troubled body politic of Malaysia needed? Or was he just another mendacious mediocrity with a record of persistent misdiagnoses, phony remedies and self-serving justifications? Only history’s judgment can offer the final verdict but Dr Mahathir himself is in no doubt.

In a riveting series of unprecedented conversations, Malaysia’s most famous former prime minister reveals to American journalist and author Tom Plate a panoramic panoply of views on governing, on Islam, on Jews, on the West and on Malays that are striking in historical sweep and contemporary relevance

Genres: Politics, Biography, Nonfiction

250 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 28, 2011

Reviews

[Yang Ch'ng · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a Malaysian who has spent most of my life overseas, it was riveting to gain a better understanding of Malaysia's longest-serving PM Mahathir Mohamad and his legacy. I have read Tom Plate's other books in the 'Giants of Asia' series but I thoroughly enjoyed this one the most. Plate's candid questions and Mahathir's blunt answers presents a very fresh and open-minded perspective on the blend of religion, politics, culture, and economics. As a Chinese Malaysian, I have many reasons to despise Mahathir's neo-Malay policies that resulted in a less-than-equal playing field in Malaysia. This book, however, has since informed me to change my stance and view Mahathir's impact and legacy from a more moderate light.

[W · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting far more insights, especially from someone like Dr Mahathir who doesn’t hold back, sadly the book was quite lacking. It’s more the author’s fault rather than Dr Mahathir though. This is my second Giants of Asia and I don’t think I’ll continue with the rest of the series.

[Ilynn Virgobiru · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book and get a glimpse of the insightful mind of Dr. Mahathir.

I read this book a few weeks after GE15 where Anwar Ibrahim finally became PM of Malaysia. But almost everything that Dr.M said in this book had actually happened. US pulled out of Afghanistan, never actually won any war. We are on the way facing a terrible economy crisis which involve the whole world, including US. People's perception towards USA is at an all-time low. Muslims slowly rising and being United, although there is still so much division. Malaysians with racist issues still very much going on and perhaps worse..

There are some insights that I felt new to me, I guess because I never thought of it that way before. Truly, what a brilliant mind!

After the political crisis and going through pandemic, Malaysians are ready for new leader. But the way our political scenes are going, apparently we cannot be happy yet. True, managing a Muslim-majority which also an open country is not easy. And I agree Dr.M has done a great job in his tenure as 4th PM.

However...his tenure as the 7th PM, under the PH banner (working with Anwar), not so much.
Now the fate of Malaysia is still yet to be determined but rest assured that its citizens are resilient people.

[Linh Do · Rating 3 out of 5]

Người lãnh đạo quốc gia rộng lớn Malaysia hơn 30 năm không để xảy ra nội chiến
Tác giả của những tin shock bàn về chính trị cả khi đương chức đến khi về hưu
Người đàn ông ngoài 90 tuổi lại lần nữa tái đắc cử vị trí Thủ tướng Malaysia
Ông chính là Mahathir Mohamad
.
Theo quan điểm của mình cuốn sách này chưa lột tả hết những điểm đặc biệt của con người này, nhiều chi tiết mới chỉ nêu ra mà chưa có phân tích đi kèm, cộng thêm cách đưa ý kiến tác giả xen lồng vào những phần phát biểu của nhân vật chính khiến người đọc bị phân tâm, nhiều khi không hiểu đó là ý kiến của ai nữa.

[Slkoh]

An interesting read, especially his views about power and about Islam.
And I have never thought about political power the way he has described, reminds me of dramas where the King "technically has the power" but still not absolutely able to do everything he wants or the way he wants it.
Additionally I find it interesting that he has, in some sense, overlapping views about Islam as Lee Kuan Yew.

[Warmth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to like this man when I first heard a little bit about the economical evolution he did in Malaysia. And after reading this book, I became fond of his strategy and way of thinking.
The true example of a wise contemporary mainstream Muslim Leader, who understands true Islam, and applies the Islamic injunctions by worshiping God and developing his country (work and worship).
The book collects together a great deal of his opinions and thoughts about different topics whether locally in Malaysia or globally especially with countries that closely affect Malaysia.
Very well written conversation- despite the very long sentences that sometimes make me lose the meaning he’d like to explain.
This book is an eye opener on a great heritage and the amazing Malaysian experience that totally encourages me to read more about it.

[Ngô Thị Ngát · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hãy khôn ngoan hơn đi: chúng ta không được gây hiềm khích với bất kì ai mà phải làm cho họ tâm phục khẩu phục.
Cuốn sách mở cho mình thêm 1 tri thức mới về sự đối lập của người Do Thái và người Islam. Chỉ số minh bạch của chính phủ. Và tôi biết VN đứng 104/180 :(
Mahathir đã biến Malay từ 1 nền kinh tế nông nghiệp chậm tiến thành một xã hội công nghiệp năng động sau 22 năm cầm quyền.

[Viviantie Sarjuni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining. My fav chapter would be on Dr M's view on Palestin - Israel crisis and his speech (in appendix) during OIC 2003.

"So, I adhere to that teaching - become a Muslim fundamentalist, and Muslim fundamentalism must let me be moderate. "

[Saif · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice read ..

[Minh Vu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but engaged book. I can imagine the potrait, point of view and know some facts about one of the well-known political leaders. No censors is also an key thing about this book.

[Ha Thanh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cuốn sách chỉ là những mẩu chuyện "vu vơ" của tác giả và tổng thống Malaysia, ít thông tin hữu ích

[Doreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, Mr Plate gives too much credit to the editors of this book. While it is clear that a book like this requires a somewhat lax hand, as it revolves around the free flow of conversation, a little more editing would have helped tighten it up (also, some of the erroneous word usage choices are just appalling.)

That said, this is an interesting book. Mr Plate sits down with Dr M for four lengthy interviews, which are then recorded and fairly faithfully transcribed, along with the author's thought-processes. The main drawback to this style is that it tells us almost as much, if not more, about the interviewer than the interviewed. It's clear that Mr Plate is a fan of his subject, and while it's refreshing to see a journalist who doesn't react to Dr M's bluster with knee-jerk defensiveness, certain portions of the book smell of apologism. Dr M may not technically be an anti-semite but he, like many Malaysians regardless of race, are bigots to the core, seeing no problem with ascribing stereotypes of a race to its individuals. I'll be blunt in stating the unpopular opinion that bigotry of this kind, like hypocrisy, isn't the greatest failing in the world, so long as it's coupled with pragmatism's inherent belief in meritocracy. It's still a failing, of course, but I don't believe it should detract from Dr M's many great qualities and accomplishments. Dr M is a complicated figure, very much Isaiah Berlin's fox, and this book helps illuminate that. It's an incredibly easy read, too, but I don't think it presents Dr M's thoughts so much as it presents what Mr Plate thinks are his thoughts. Still a worthy addition to the scholarship on the subject.

[Ridzwan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Conversations with Mahathir Mohamad - Dr. M : Operation Malaysia is author’s Tom Plate attempt at creating a franchise. His previous work was an interview with the former Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and the intended series look set to be christened as the“Giants of Asia”.

Ironically, the two personalities interviewed back to back are very similar in their characteristics. Pragmatic, vocal and unafraid to go against political correctness. But as the author accurately pointed out, they cannot stand the sight of each other. Both have in the past been the subject of high profile verbal clashes since the days of the Malaysian parliament when Singapore was still a part of Malaysia.

Like the previous book in the series, the work feels too much like an unedited conversation transcript off an interview tape an the author has taken ample liberty to insert in personal anecdotes of himself and his life as a journalist. The book is not indexed and comes across as not serious contender to be a literary work of any significance.

[Syafiqa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall a good read. One good point the author pointed out that while other countries wihin the region are going through all sort of hard times (bombing attacks, political uprising, etc.) Malaysia remain calm in comparison; Dr M must have done something right (I guess as Malaysian we take this for granted). At some point though, I find the author a bit pushy (like trying to get Dr M take back his comments on Jews and America).

[Barbara Barungi · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazingly candid insight into a world renown leader's perspective of national and global politics. A book that the Obama administration and GOP alike could benefit from reading with a view to understand better Geo and cultural underpinnings of world politics,

[Wai-kit Ng · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written when Dr M was no longer PM after 22 years. It was written without any expectation that Dr M would be PM again. And because of that, Dr M was as frank as he could have been as a citizen. Interesting read as such.

[Adintya Gusti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mind blowing!
Memberi sudut pandang baru tentang peminpin Muslim untuk dunia

[Nasrin Shila]

বাংলা অনুবাদ পড়েছি, অনুবাদ ভাল না, ১৭৭-১৯২ পৃষ্ঠা নেই