“There were of course some quarters that suggested and proposed that

Are there
Dr. Mahathir should be known as the Father of Modern Malaysia. I do
not know the reason why such a title should be given to him. But then
you do come across people who are mentally bankrupt and who wish to

any birds
win favours, and so they have honoured him.”
Ahmad Mustapha Hassan
Dr Mahathir was the Malaysian Prime

in Dr.
Minister between 1981 and 2003. His
vision for the development of the country Were the projects
was largely realised through grand mere egomaniacal
projects such as the Petronas Towers. follies?

Mahathir’s
Gilded
1) The gilded cages 2) A shortage of birds
Mahathir raised Malaysia„s profile through projects such Cross the skywalk between the Petronas Towers and
as the Petronas Towers, the new administrative city of you see empty office space, yet the towers are

Cages?
Putrajaya and the transformed KLIA (Kuala Lumpur
International Airport). Mahathir sought to show the
world what Malaysia was capable of and to encourage
national pride among his people. But the impressive
show arguably lacked the support of good governance
and failed to meet the actual needs of Malaysia‟s
citizens.
undeniably a state icon and tourist attraction. There
was a surplus of office space in Kuala Lumpur prior to
the establishment of Putrajaya and the new city is quiet
and under-occupied but it does reflect some truly
Malaysian design in its architecture. Finally, while KLIA
has not become the transport hub Mahathir envisioned,
it does provide a sophisticated entry into the country.

3) Few peacocks, many sparrows 4) Is this development?

Kathryn Ashcroft
School of Government and International Affairs
www.creationforwealthofnations.blogspot.com
Mahathir adopted a „trickle down‟ strategy in the
approach used for his mega projects and a core group
of Malay millionaires emerged. These individuals have
skewed figures for average incomes and many
Malaysians (particularly non-Malays) feel that they have
not benefited. The glittering face of Malaysian progress
obscures a corrupt police state that benefits a minority
and silences and controls the majority via a plethora of
acts and laws that protect those running the nation.
While immediate benefits have largely been for the
new Malay elites, whether this negates their
significance is far from a simple judgement.
Foundations, while laid too early and to the detriment
of other development needs, have placed Malaysia in a
position to manage a variety of future challenges. The
mega projects were undoubtedly egomaniacal but they
were more than mere follies and could prove to
demonstrate a new strategy for developing nations.