Mahathir, the youngest of nine siblings, was born on July 10, 1925 in Alor Setar, Kedah.

Once sacked from his party Umno, he emerged from political wilderness to eventually lead Barisan Nasional (BN) as prime minister from 1981 to 2003.

He stepped down in favour of his then-deputy Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, only to campaign against his successor a few years later.

Mahathir rode a wave of dissatisfaction with then-PM Najib Razak’s government to topple BN and to return to power in May 2018.

However, his second tenure as prime minister ended in February 2020 when several Bersatu MPs crossed the aisle to join the opposition.

In his 22 years as the fourth prime minister, Mahathir introduced several initiatives, such as the Look East Policy that promoted education and business ties with nations such as Japan and South Korea, and the introduction of the first made-in-Malaysia car — the Proton.

He also initiated several iconic projects, such as the Petronas Twin Towers, the KL Tower, the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and Putrajaya as the nation’s new administrative hub.

He promoted the extensive privatisation of government-owned entities such as power producer Tenaga Nasional Bhd and communications services provider Telekom Malaysia Bhd.

During the Asian financial crisis from 1997 to 1999, he spurned advice to seek help from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to instead peg the ringgit to the greenback — a move that would eventually earn praise for helping to lessen the blow on the Malaysian economy.

Mahathir, now an adviser to the PAS-led state governments of Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu and Perlis, remains a divisive figure in Malaysian politics.

He has been openly critical of his former deputy, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as well as PH and Umno, a key component in the unity government.

He and his wife, Dr Hasmah Ali, 98, have seven children: Marina, Mirzan, Melinda, Mokhzani, Mukhriz, Maizura and Mazhar.