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Mahathir's rocky political road
(AP) -- Major events in the life of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who retires on Friday after more than 22 years in power: December 20, 1925 -- Born in Alor Setar, northern Malaysia, where his father is a teacher. A hard-working and bright student, Mahathir eventually enrolls in medical school in Singapore. 1946 -- Joins the United Malays National Organization the year it is founded. UMNO, representing the interests of the Malay Muslim majority, has been the dominant party in the ethnically-based ruling coalition since Malaysia achieved independence from Britain in 1957. 1957 -- Opens a medical practice in Alor Setar and marries fellow doctor Siti Hasmah Ali, with whom he has four sons and three daughters. 1964 -- Elected to Parliament after contesting general elections for the first time. 1969 -- Loses his seat in elections and is expelled from UMNO for criticizing then-Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman's policies. The same year, race riots in Kuala Lumpur kill hundreds of people, mostly ethnic Chinese. 1970 -- Mahathir's book, "The Malay Dilemma," is published in Singapore. Banned in Malaysia through the 1970s, the book helps define Mahathir's status as political maverick, critic of the West and nationalistic defender of ethnic Malays. The same year, Abdul Rahman retires, paving the way for Mahathir's return to UMNO. 1974 -- Re-elected to Parliament, Mahathir is appointed education minister. By 1976, he is deputy prime minister. July 16, 1981 -- Elected as UMNO president and sworn in as Malaysia's fourth prime minister after the incumbent, Hussein Onn, resigns for health reasons. 1985 -- Drawing inspiration from Japan, Mahathir launches a national auto industry. He also favors government-boosted industrial and high-tech development that eventually make Malaysia the 17th-ranked trading nation. 1987 -- Mahathir narrowly wins an UMNO leadership ballot, but opponents demand it be annulled because votes from improperly registered divisions were counted. Ruling on the dispute, the High Court declares that UMNO in its entirety had been unlawfully registered. Mahathir swiftly forms New UMNO and bars his opponents from joining; arrests more than 100 opposition members and independent critics; suspends four newspapers' licenses; and rushes legislative changes to curb judicial independence and media criticism. Jan. 24, 1989 -- Has heart bypass surgery after being hospitalized with chest pains. September, 1998 -- After more than a year of accusing Western "rogue speculators" of causing an economic crisis in Asia, Mahathir announces sweeping capital controls, overruling advice from the International Monetary Fund. At the same time, Mahathir fires his deputy, Anwar Ibrahim, who is subsequently arrested, convicted of sodomy and corruption and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Anwar's case triggers massive anti-government protests that continue sporadically for a few years. November, 1999 -- Mahathir's coalition wins national elections, but his party loses ground to fundamentalist Islamic opposition. On the economic front, Malaysia suffers a shallower recession than its neighbors and the IMF eventually vindicates Mahathir's policies. September, 2001 -- Mahathir signs the condolence book at the U.S. Embassy for the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. He cracks down hard on terror suspects, but later opposes the U.S.-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. June 22, 2002 -- Mahathir stuns Malaysia by announcing in a televised speech that he is retiring. He withdraws the resignation an hour later after party leaders beg him to stay, and agrees to a 16-month transition. Oct. 16, 2003 -- In a speech while hosting a summit of Islamic countries, Mahathir claims that Jews "rule the world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them." His comments draw condemnation from the United States, the European Union, other countries and Jewish groups. Oct. 31, 2003 -- Mahathir steps down as leader, handing over the prime ministerialship to his deputy, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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