Mahathir latest news bbc

1970 book by Mahathir bin Mohamad

The Malay Dilemma (Malay: Dilema Melayu) is a 1970 book by Malaysian politician and writer Mahathir Mohamad, who went on to be the country's longest serving Prime Minister.

In it, Mahathir describes his interpretation of Malaysia's history in relation to its multi-ethnic society and racial tensions, and advocates for affirmative action policies for Malays. The book was originally banned in Malaysia; the ban was lifted 11 years after its first publication after Mahathir became prime minister.

Commentators have since noted its influence on Malaysian society and governance, particularly the New Economic Policy.

Background

At the time of publication, Mahathir had just lost his parliamentary seat, been expelled from the ruling party UMNO and Malaysia had recently been rocked by the racial riots later known as the 13 May Incident.^[1]

Summary

The book is a manifesto outlining Mahathir's political and racial