Leadership lessons Africa can draw from Malaysia's ex-prime minister

Dr Mohamed Osman with Dr Mahathir Mohamed during a roundtable discussion on leadership and solidarity in Cardiff, UK.

Last month, I had the honour of meeting and interacting with Malaysia's former Prime Minister (PM) Dr Mahathir Mohamad in Cardiff, UK.

This was during a private roundtable discussion on the theme of leadership and solidarity. When one reflects on the success registered by Malaysia, Dr Mahathir - a towering figure in development - will indeed have his place. He served as the PM of Malaysia for two terms, first from 1981 to 2003, and later from 2018 to 2020.

One of Mahathir's most significant achievements was his ability to unite Malaysia's diverse population. Malaysia is multi-ethnic with Malays, Chinese, and Indians, among other ethnic groups.

The former premier has also strongly advocated for regional cooperation, playing a pivotal role in forming the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) which has boosted trade and investment in the region and also promoted stability.

He also took decisive action and set up a special task force to investigate high-profile corruption cases, such as the elaborate fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering associated with the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal (1MDB) scandal.

Economic growth and a significant reduction in poverty levels were also some of his key achievements. Under his leadership, Malaysia's gross domestic product (GDP) grew from Sh3 trillion in 1981 to Sh22 trillion in 2003. In an interconnected world, there are valuable lessons that today's African leaders can learn from the successes achieved by Mahathir.

Key among them includes making a decisive decision in fighting graft and encouraging investment and regional cooperation.

In particular, Somalia, a country beleaguered by endless conflict, can gain a lot from Malaysia's experience. The Horn of Africa nation is a multi-clan country with a history of conflict. Mahathir's experience uniting Malaysia's diverse population and promoting regional cooperation could be valuable to Somalia.

Somalia is also going through a momentous and historic transformation focused on liberating the country from decades of violent extremism and achieving economic independence.

The country can also learn from Malaysia's anti-corruption programme, which includes protection for whistleblowers, independent oversight bodies, and promoting transparency.

On the other hand, Somalia's potential admission to the East African Community (EAC) holds great promise for regional trade and integration reminiscent of Malaysia's experience with ASEAN.

Dr Mohamed Osman is the founder and CEO of Sadar Institute