Western Perspectives Of Mahathir’s Anti-West Policy Positions 1981-2003

Author: Zawiah Yahya
Publisher: UKM Press
ISBN: 9789674123437
Weight:
Pages: 121
Year: 2015
Price: RM30

This book focuses on Mahathir’s foreign policies that outraged the West during his long period of rule (1981-2003). Written by experts from different fields who employ an interplay of diverse perspectives, the book analyses Western perceptions of Mahathir’s Malaysia as reflected in their media and, in turn, critically examines the western gaze to uncover its biases and agenda. This book, therefore, offers more than information and knowledge of the Mahathir-West tensions at a particular period of Malaysian history; it offers a multi-disciplinary way of looking at how others perceive ‘us’ and ‘themselves’, and how we perceive ‘others’ and ‘ourselves’. More importantly, the book offers a possibility of a collective Malaysian perspective despite its diversity. It is a useful read for scholars, students, policymakers, and the public who are interested in understanding Malaysia-West contestations that shaped Malaysia’s history during the Mahathir era and to draw appropriate lessons in order to move forward in the 21st century.