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[KUALA LUMPUR] As Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad is set to mark an extraordinary milestone in July this year – turning 100. Although no longer in office, with a slow gait, and a once-imposing stature now softened by age – still, a marvel to many – he remains a towering figure in Malaysia’s political landscape.

“By mid-2025 I will be 100 years old. Insya-Allah (Arabic for “if God wills”) if I’m still breathing, it would be a long journey full of challenges,” he posted in a reflective New Year message on Facebook on the final day of 2024.

“So far, I have been blessed with relatively good health, still able to stand, walk, and think clearly. A century is a long time… I am fortunate to be able to pass through such important moments in the country’s history,” he wrote.

Renowned for his bold vision, sharp wit, and biting retorts – famously calling George Soros a “moron” for his role in the Asian financial crisis, among others – Dr Mahathir modernised Malaysia and cultivated a new class of billionaires who would go on to reshape the country’s corporate landscape.

Critics decried this as cronyism as Dr Mahathir doled out lucrative concessions to those he handpicked – figures such as Robert Kuok, the late Ananda Krishnan, Syed Mokhtar Albukhary, Genting’s Lim Goh Tong and Berjaya’s Vincent Tan – many of whom would then go on to build regional and global empires.