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Article: The unstoppable Dr Mahathir.(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- December 4, 1999
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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KUALA LUMPUR
As expected, Malaysia's leader for 18 years has won again with a big majority. Can anything or anyone dislodge him?
PERHAPS Mahathir Mohamad is entitled to gloat. He has certainly defied the predictions that were made 15 months ago, when he put controls on Malaysia's currency a day before sacking his deputy, Anwar Ibrahim. Because the controls were unfair to foreign investors, critics concluded that economic ruin would naturally and swiftly follow. And when Mr Anwar was arrested, beaten by the police chief and tried for corruption and sodomy, foreigners believed that most Malaysians would share their outrage. Dr Mahathir judged differently. ...