Digest on Malaysian News

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is not losing any sleep over the possibility of certain quarters filing lawsuits against him for putting them in a negative light in his memoirs.


The former Prime Minister said he was driven to tell the truth in his autobiography, A Doctor in the House: The Memoirs of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, which was launched Tuesday.

"There will be those who will not be satisfied.

"If they want to sue, sue lah," he quipped after launching his book at MidValley Megamall.

Dr Mahathir said he had kept the publication of his memoirs a secret until the launching date to avoid possible court injunctions to stop its publication.

"It took me eight years to complete the book.

"I want people to read it. Whatever they think of it is their prerogative," he said.

Dr Mahathir said during his tenure as Prime Minister, he was described as a dictator.

"(In the autobiography) I tried to prove that I am not a dictator. But some people will still feel otherwise," he said, adding that he was expecting brickbats for exposing so much.

To a question from a foreigner, Dr Mahathir said through his book, he wanted to deliver the message that it was not impossible to achieve anything if one was willing to learn.

"I was a commoner, I was not trained in the field of administration, economy or finance.

"But you can learn if you want to learn. The best reward is not the monetary gain but the result of your effort," he said.

"Several chapters were difficult to write because it is all about myself," he said, adding that he was not comfortable promoting himself.

The 809-page book, which retails at RM100 a copy, is available at MPH bookstores nationwide.