Capturing Hope: The Struggle Continues for a New Malaysia

Capturing Hope: The Struggle Continues for a New Malaysia follows chronologically the events described in Mahathir’s A Doctor in the House. This standalone work chronicles not just the unexpected journey of Mahathir back to the premiership but also the great changes taking place within Malaysia today. The story starts with his retirement, which finally gave him the time and means to pursue matters close to his heart—the plight of the Palestinian people, and the criminalization of war—before the country’s troubles soon pulled him back into the maelstrom of Malaysian national politics.

Unable to sit idly by as his country plummeted towards disaster, Mahathir found himself in the unique position of opposing the very party he led for 22 years. More astonishing was his victory in Malaysia’s 14th General Election and his return at the age of 92 as the seventh Prime Minister of Malaysia, making him the oldest serving head of government in the world at the time.

This book offers a frank and at times blunt discussion of the difficulties that the Pakatan Harapan Government faced, the challenges of rebuilding national political consensus, the betrayals from within the coalition that ultimately led to the Government’s downfall in March 2020 and to the many unthinkable firsts in Malaysian politics. Whether one agrees with Mahathir or not, it is impossible to deny the impact he has had—and continues to have—on the Malaysian political landscape. This book seeks to discuss those impacts as well as Mahathir’s unfinished struggle to steer Malaysia away from the destructive political dynamics that have fueled corruption and division in the country for so long.