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Article: A qualified success.(Dr Mahathir in Malaysia)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- April 5, 2003
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 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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It hurts to say goodbye
On balance, Dr Mahathir has done well by Malaysia. But he should not linger
BY HIS own exacting standards, Dr Mahathir should probably be rated a failure. Barring a miracle, it is hard to see how the plans he outlined for Malaysia in a speech made in 1992, which became known as the "Vision 2020", could possibly be realised. The main goal he set out was that by 2020 Malaysia should become a "fully developed country", meaning that its income per head should get close to that of the 30 countries of the OECD. But last year the country's GDP per head was around $3,900, against an OECD average of $23,100, and the gap is widening.
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