The following is my answer to a Quora
question: “Is
Malaysia far more corrupt under Mahathir bin Mohamed, than Singapore under the
Lee family?”
We have only to look at where Singapore
and Malaysia are on any index that measures corruption, and therein lies the
answer. Also, I should point out that
the sons of Mahathir bin Mohamed are billionaires. Mokhzani bin Mahathir is listed as the 14th
richest man in Malaysia.
We should also consider the legacy of both
premierships. Lee Kuan Yew, for all his
authoritarianism, left a system of accountability and relative transparency. Mahathir left his country to a kleptocracy he
elevated. Mohammad Najib bin Abdul Razak
was his Defence Minister when irregularities pertaining to the purchase of
submarines and the F-18 engines arose. What
does that tell you about Mahathir?
Malaysia was corrupt then, and it is
corrupt now. Nothing has changed. Mahathir was corrupt then, and he is still
corrupt now. For all their inadequacies,
that is not the Lee family legacy.
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