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.

Mahathir Mohamad

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.

Mahathir Mohamad

If you want to be honest with yourself, you have to take criticism, even if you attract adverse comments from others.

Mahathir Mohamad

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.

Mahathir Mohamad

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.

Mahathir Mohamad

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.

Mahathir Mohamad

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.

Mahathir Mohamad

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.

Mahathir Mohamad

There's no point in treating a currency like a commodity, devaluing it artificially and causing a lot of poverty among poor countries.

Mahathir Mohamad

The little Napoleons in UMNO try to keep out people who are more intelligent than themselves.

Mahathir Mohamad

The thinning of the ozone layer is blamed on logging of tropical forests. The fact that the burning of fossil fuels and release of CFCs (chloro-fluoro-carbons) into the atmosphere occur largely in the rich countries are significantly ignored.

Mahathir Mohamad

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.

Mahathir Mohamad

The Jews are not merely hook-nosed but understand money instinctively.

Mahathir Mohamad

Jews rule the world by proxy.

Mahathir Mohamad

It is always the right of the mighty which prevails over the weak, and that is very primitive.

Mahathir Mohamad

I am saying that currency trading is unnecessary, unproductive, and immoral. It should be stopped. It should be made illegal.

Mahathir Mohamad

Planning means looking ahead.

Mahathir Mohamad

When you have a prime minister who is corrupt, then you can be sure that a country cannot be anything else but corrupt.

Mahathir Mohamad

There are certain things that we can deal with by following the rules. But at times, we find the rules restrict you from doing the right things. On such occasions, we have to rethink - either you change the rules or break the rules.

Mahathir Mohamad

The West is very impatient. You want overnight change.

Mahathir Mohamad

A country without engineering skill and knowledge will never become a developed country.

Mahathir Mohamad