Dato  Seri  Dr. Mahathir  bin  Mohamad   became  the
fourth  Prime  Minister of Malaysia  on  16  July 1981.

     Dato   Seri Dr. Mahathir  was  born  on  20 December
1925  in  Alor  Setar, the capital   of   the  State   of
Kedah. He had his early and  secondary education  in  his
home  town. In 1947  he  gained admission  into  the King
Edward VII  College  of Medicine in Singapore.
     
     Upon  graduation he  joined the Malaysian Government
Service   as    a   Medical Officer.  He left  government
service in  1957  to set  up  his  own  practice in  Alor
Setar.
     
     Dr.  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.  Dr.   Mahathir was first elected as  a  Member  of
Parliament  following  the General   Elections  in  1964.
However,  he  lost  his seat in the   subsequent  General
Election in 1969.
     
     Owing   to   his  keen  interest  in  the  country's
education  he was appointed Chairman of the first  Higher
Education   Council  in  1968,  Member  of   the   Higher
Education   Advisory Council in 1972,  Member   of    the
University Court and  University of Malaya Council,   and
Chairman of the  National University  Council  in  1974.
     
     In  1973  Dr.  Mahathir  was  appointed  a  Senator.
He  relinquished this post in order to contest  the  1974
General  Elections   where  he  was  returned  unopposed.
Following  the  elections  Dr.  Mahathir   was  appointed
Minister of Education.
     
     In  1976  Dr.  Mahathir was appointed  Deputy  Prime
Minister   in   addition  to  his  Education   portfolio.
Following   a   Cabinet  reshuffle in  January   1978  he
relinquished  the Education portfolio for that  of  Trade
and  Industry. As Minister of Trade and  Industry he  led
several investment promotion missions overseas.
     
     Dr.  Mahathir was elected as one of the three  Vice-
President of UMNO in 1975. In   1978  he  was elected the
party's  Deputy  President and in  1981    was  appointed
President  of  the  party. He was returned  unopposed  as
President in   1984.  In the  1987  party  elections  Dr.
Mahathir    defeated   his  challenger   to  retain   the
Presidency  and in 1990 and 1993 he  was  again  returned
unopposed as party President.
     
     Under    his   leadership  the  ruling  party,   the
Barisan   Nasional   (National  Front),   won   landslide
victories  in  the  1982, 1986,  1990  and  1995  General
Elections.
     
     Dato  Seri  Dr.  Mahathir is married  to  a  doctor,
Datin  Seri  Dr.  Siti Hasmah, and they both  have  seven
children and ten grandchildren.