Is Mahathir taking Malaysia in a new direction?
Mahathir Mohamad’s second term as Malaysia’s prime minister has been eventful, from pursuing corruption cases against former Prime Minister Najib Razak to renegotiating and cancelling mega-infrastructure project deals with China.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaks to TRT World.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad headed the country's government for decades until he retired. But with his former protege Najib Razak’s government mired in corruption allegations, the veteran politician returned to the fray.
He went on to lead the opposition coalition to victory in the May election over the National Front, which had been in power since Malaysia’s independence. Now 93, Mahathir is the world's oldest prime minister.
His pushback against China’s 'Belt and Road' plan has reverberated around Asia and other countries involved in China’s multi-billion-dollar project.
He cancelled a number of mega-infrastructure projects citing the debt accrued by the southeast Asian country.
“There’s a tendency among big powers to exert their authority over small countries,” Mahathir told TRT World in an exclusive interview with Ghida Fakhry on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Mahathir also told TRT World that Malaysia is not dependent on the United States, “We have never asked for aid from the United States. We have always felt that as far as we can, we should not be dependent upon anybody.”
You can watch TRT World’s full interview with Mahathir here.
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