Mahathir became the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia on July 16, 1981. During the process, he turned himself into one of Asia's longest-serving leaders and when he retired in October 2003 he had been in office for 22 years.

An outspoken critic of western government policies, he projected himself as a moderate spokesman for the Muslim world. He has also been a strong-supporter of Non-Aligned Movement (Nam) and was the last Chairman at the Nam summit in Malaysia in 2003.

On assuming high office, as Minister of Trade and Industry and later as Prime Minister, he led several investment promotion missions overseas. Dr Mahathir set about putting his ideas into practice and transforming Malaysia from an exporter of rubber and tin, into an Asian tiger producing electronic equipment, steel and cars.

He has also taken on the mantle of spokesman for the New Asia, upholding Asian and Malaysian values, criticising, what he called 'Western double standards' and winning a following among non-Western and developing countries.

Dr Mahathir has created a Malay middle class, and even billionaires, through government patronage as well as policies of positive discrimination in employment and higher education.

More visible projects to boost his people's sense of pride have included the world's tallest building and the "Multimedia Super Corridor" intended to rival California's Silicon Valley.

Two of Dr Mahathir's original ideas of an Islamic Gold Dinar to be used as a common currency between initially Islamic governments and then likely later as a common currency, and oil traded using the euro currency as opposed to just the US dollar are now expected by experts to happen within a decade.

Born on December 20, 1925 in Alor Setar, Mahathir did his early and secondary education in his hometown. In 1947, he gained admission into the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore, according to his official website.

Mahathir has been active in politics since 1945. He has been a member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) since its inception in 1946.

He was first elected as a member of parliament following the general elections in 1964. In 1973, Mahathir was appointed a Senator. He relinquished this post in order to contest in the 1974 general elections where he was returned unopposed. Following the elections, Mahathir was appointed the Minister of Education.

In 1976, Mahathir was made Deputy Prime Minister in addition to his education portfolio. In a cabinet reshuffle two years later, he relinquished the education portfolio for that of trade and industry.

Mahathir was elected as one of the three Vice Presidents of UMNO in 1975. In 1978, he won the Deputy President seat and in 1981, he was appointed President of the party. He was returned unopposed as President in 1984.

Under his leadership, the ruling party Barisan Nasional (National Front) won landslide victories in the 1982, 1986, 1990, 1995 and 1999 general elections.

Dr. Mahathir is married to a doctor, Datin Seri Dr. Siti Hasmah bt Mohd Ali, and they have seven children and ten grandchildren.