Abstract
Nowadays, Malaysia is known as a model of rapid development. Indeed, in the middle of the twentieth century, the economy of this country is agriculture-oriented and nothing hints any economic boom to come such as the one which occurs a few years later. The economic growth starts to soar as soon as Dr Mahathir bin Mohammad becomes Prime Minister in 1981. His influence over Malaysia is such that he embodies the economic progress of the country. The twenty-two years during which he does his best to put Malaysia on the path to modernity have contributed to build the hero image of Mahathir. However, his resignation in 2003 triggers several worries regarding the stability of the country as such a charismatic leader cannot be replaced easily. Moreover, the Malaysian society being completely different today than the one Mahathir knows when he becomes head of government, his successor already has to confront the legacy of his predecessor with a country which middle class is far more significant than it used to be. As a consequence, one might wonder how Mahathir's legacy can endanger the stability of Malaysia.
