Mahathir Mohamad
I am the first authoritarian government elected to become a dictator and then resigning as a dictator. So this is the first dictator in the world who has resigned while still quite healthy.Collection: Government
Independence means we enjoy freedom. We are not colonised by people. And we can govern our own country and develop it independently so that our people can live a better life.Collection: Independence
Airplanes don't just disappear - certainly not these days with all the powerful communication systems, radio and satellite tracking, and filmless cameras which operate almost indefinitely and possess huge storage capacities.Collection: Communication
Sudden change, even if it is for the good, is disruptive.Collection: Change
The Malays are spiritually inclined, tolerant, and easy-going. The non-Malays, and especially the Chinese, are materialistic, aggressive, and have an appetite for work. For equality to come about, it is necessary that these strikingly contrasting races adjust to each other.Collection: Equality
Being a medical practitioner enables me to get in touch with people, understand their problems, feel sympathetic towards them, and the natural thing is to want to help them, and if you become a politician and if you are successful, you can help them even more.Collection: Medical
I believe that every leader has a right to implement his own policy. But when I see things that are done that are not right - abuse of power, wrong approaches, wrong strategies, making use of foreign consultants, including those discarded by other countries - I feel that I have to have my say.Collection: Power
Doctors look after me. But, basically, I look after myself. I don't overeat. I don't develop a big paunch. I do a little bit of exercise. At the same time, I believe that if you don't work, you will decay. The decay process is through not using your faculties - not using your brain, not using your body.
In the eyes of the world, Malaysia has become a pariah state, a state where anyone can be hauled up and questioned by the police, detained, and charged through abusing laws of the country.
All leaders must have some power. Without power, you can't be a leader.
Democracy must be internally generated. You cannot force it from the top - it's not going to work.
Planning means looking ahead.
I am glad to be labeled anti-Semitic.
I am not anti-European. I have many friends and acquaintances who are Europeans.
Malaysia is particularly sensitive: we have three races here and 29 different tribes. If you allow people to say what they like, there will be violence, confrontations, and all that. We need stability.
If we keep on raking up the past, you can never work with anybody. You will always be fighting against your enemies, and that is bad.
Free press is not absolute. In this country, we say clearly if you start stirring up racial hatred, then we will put a stop to it. We might even close down your paper, because these things can only lead to a lot of riots and bloodshed.
There is no such thing as absolute freedom of the press, not even in the most advanced countries in the world. There are things you just don't say, because it will destabilise the environment.
I expect every prime minister to have his own imprint.
A lawyer wants to get his client off the hook. And even if he knows the client is guilty, he is going to find ways and means of getting him off the hook.
Not many dictators announce their resignation, but I did because I didn't want to stay on and overstay my welcome.
If Australia wants to be a friend of Asia, it should stop behaving as if it is there to teach us how to run our country.
When the British ruled Malaysia, they burnt millions of acres of Malaysian forests so that they could plant rubber.
Justice is the most important thing. In a plural society like Malaysia, you cannot have two laws - one law for the Muslim, one law for the non-Muslim.
If you want to be honest with yourself, you have to take criticism, even if you attract adverse comments from others.
Corruption is found everywhere. I admit there is some corruption in my staff - not me.
The Internet is undermining moral values.
It is always the right of the mighty which prevails over the weak, and that is very primitive.
Big corporations don't just belong to one person or two persons but to a whole nation. If you let big corporations fail, then a lot of people are going to suffer.
It is not true at all that a free market will ensure a democracy. It doesn't. There must be a balance between a free market and some regulations which are essential in order to safeguard the interests of consumers and of people in general.
Most Americans, I think, know very little about East Asia or Southeast Asia. American businesspeople who have been here, they are very knowledgeable about this area, but the average American? No.
When developing countries go to the WTO and register their protest over things, they should be heard. Their views should be considered by the rich countries.
In Malaysia, trials have always been fair.
If you look at the Malaysian media, you will find that, although some are supportive of the government, many are not, and they are very critical of the government.
Malaysia has got all the things in place to continue growth: the policies are there; the mechanisms are there. So, I think even when I am not around, Malaysia can do with other people who are converse with our policies.
When I was first named as Deputy Prime Minister, there was a feeling of shock that I should be chosen because I was labeled as being an ultra and very anti-Chinese.
As a doctor, you are out on call most nights, so you don't get continuous sleep, and that becomes something that is familiar to you. So, working hard doesn't bother me.
The West only talks about how you can militarily defeat the terrorists, but terrorists are very difficult to defeat because they can appear anywhere.
I believe that currency trading should not be a business at all.
There's no point in treating a currency like a commodity, devaluing it artificially and causing a lot of poverty among poor countries.
Affirmative action is not something that the World Bank believes in or promotes.
I don't care much whether people remember me or not. If people remember, well and good. If they don't remember, it's alright - I'm dead anyway.
When you are in the government, you have to demonise your opposition.
I've had quite a long time in government, and I've learned a few things.
The little Napoleons in UMNO try to keep out people who are more intelligent than themselves.
In my years, I had the opportunity to observe peoples and countries. I see some countries doing well, others failing, and my analysis of things is that whether you fail or succeed is a function of your value system.
In Asia, we live within our means. So when we are poor, we live as poor people. I think that is a lesson that Europe can learn from Asia.
Money is not something you just print. It must be backed by something, either good economy or gold.
I assume that people react to things as I would react. For example, if you are nice to people, they should be nice to you.
I won't call it UMNO anymore; this is Najib's party. I feel embarrassed that I am associated with a party that is seen as supporting corruption - it had caused me to feel ashamed.