In the 14th General Election (GE), Dr. Mahathir’s newly founded party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (BERSATU), did particularly well against the odds. Despite being the smallest party in the coalition, BERSATU managed to secure powerful ministerial positions in the new cabinet, including the Prime Minister’s post itself.
But not all of Dr. Mahathir’s blue-eyed boys managed to ride on his credentials. BERSATU’s supreme council member, Wan Saiful Wan Jan, was among the big-name casualties. The former Chief Executive Officer of libertarian think tank, IDEAS, only managed 23.94%, of votes for a rural Parliamentary seat in Pendang, Kedah. This was despite Wan Saiful being assisted by billionaires Tun Daim Zainuddin, and Mahathir’s son, Mokhzani Mahathir.
Away from the GE’s limelight, Pendang’s voters had first sensed the miscalculated judgment of BERSATU’s upper echelon. In Mokhzani’s speech at Felda Sungai Tiang in Pendang, Mokhzani had reportedly remarked that the 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) “was nothing to shout about and that Malaysians could only be proud when they are rich”.
Mokhzani had alluded that although the government reveled in the fact that it was helping the people by disbursing the aid, “the people tend to forget they are receiving money because they could not afford to fend for themselves”. The multi-billionaire also added that “we can be proud and be like champions when are rich. We can feel great with our own hard-earned money. It’s not about people giving us money so we can survive. That is not greatness”.
The Rakyat needs no reminder that Dr. Mahathir and his children, are all multi-millionaires and billionaires themselves. When asked on this matter, Dr. Mahathir had often hit back at critics by saying that his children’s success “is due to their own hard work and nothing to do with him helming the government for two decades”. The two-time Prime Minister had also explained that his children were not rich when he was in power.
If that’s the case, Dr. Mahathir’s family must have been “extra hardworking” as the net worth of Marina, Mirzan, Mukhriz and Mokhzani easily surpasses the GDP of at least 120 countries. By all means, it does seem like Mokhzani was referring to his own family as “champions”, by the virtue of their immense and unnatural wealth.
Mahathir had always claimed that it has never been his intention to create a “legacy” in the local scene. He had numerously touched on the subject of his children’s massive wealth, for example, as one that is as a result of hard work than the affiliation with the family name itself. But the reality is hard to ignore when the accumulated wealth of Mirzan, Mokhzani and Marina totals up to more the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of over a hundred countries.
If that’s the case, Dr. Mahathir’s family must have been “extra hardworking” as the net worth of Marina, Mirzan, Mukhriz and Mokhzani easily surpasses the GDP of at least 120 countries. By all means, it does seem like Mokhzani was referring to his own family as “champions”, by the virtue of their immense and unnatural wealth.
To be more specific:
1. Mokhzani owns 255 companies, with estimated total assets worth USD21 billion;
2. Mirzan owns 156 companies, with estimated total assets worth USD17 billion;
3. Mukhriz owns 128 companies, with estimated total assets worth USD13 billion; and
4. Marina owns 52 companies, with estimated total assets worth USD9 billion.
It is no wonder that Mahathir is always defensive about his children’s work ethics. After all, Mahathir’s children have not only “worked hard” to deserve their billions, but they have also cemented themselves as among the richest Malays on Earth.
Most recently posted on his blog that, Prime Minister shouldn’t be able to be millionaires - (https://www.astroawani.com/berita-politik/perdana-menteri-tidak-boleh-jadi-jutawan-tun-mahathir-318226 ), and that may be true - but with Mahathir’s political influence on the side, it is not an exaggeration to say that Mahathir is building a dynasty that would cement their “untouchable” status for generations to come.
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