Mahathir, Anwar And The Final Battle Against Time

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Mahathir's sharp memory is as much a political weapon as his work ethic. I saw this firsthand when I met him at his Perdana Leadership Foundation office in Putrajaya earlier this year. I was deeply impressed by his memory as we discussed the Malaysia-Singapore Water Agreement . He shared interesting facts and recalled intricate details from his tenure with stunning clarity.

This mental acuity is legendary. He famously called the original price of 3 cents per thousand gallons“manifestly ridiculous” and relentlessly pushed for better terms, with his government's asking price escalating dramatically over the years.

This sharpness reinforces his image as the architect of modern Malaysia, the visionary behind transformative projects and the ambitious Vision 2020 plan that aimed to make Malaysia a fully developed nation. His handling of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, where he defied international advice by imposing capital controls, is seen by many as a masterstroke that saved the economy, though critics argue it also protected politically connected firms.

The lawsuit: a reckoning decades in the making

The final confrontation between two titans is set for the Shah Alam High Court in August 2025. Mahathir has filed a RM150 million defamation suit against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, a battle for the soul of their shared history. The suit stems from a speech in which Anwar alluded to a leader who ruled for“22 years and 22 months” and allegedly used that power to enrich his family.

Mahathir claims these remarks paint him as corrupt and racist, and he is demanding a full retraction and apology. For Anwar, this is a moment of truth. The allegations of cronyism during Mahathir's rule have been the cornerstone of his Reformasi movement for over two decades. His supporters have long claimed to have“boxes and boxes of proof ,” and now, the court is demanding he present them.

The challenge is immense. While critics point to scandals like the multi-billion ringgit Perwaja Steel fiasco as evidence of a system lacking accountability, proving these decades-old claims with legal rigor is another matter entirely. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC ) is also investigating Mahathir's sons, adding another layer to the drama.

The endgame: a battle of strategy

The legal showdown is a high-stakes game of strategy. Anwar Ibrahim's legal history suggests a playbook of procedural challenges and delays. In a separate civil suit, he recently sought“qualified immunity” to postpone a trial, arguing it could“destabilize the government”-a tactic he may well deploy again.

For Anwar, a trial is a political minefield. Failing to produce evidence would be a catastrophic admission that his decades-long accusations were baseless. Delay seems the most logical, if cynical, path.