Tun Mahathir: Mandela, a dear friend and the leader I admired most

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad regards South African anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela as a dear friend and considers his death as a personal loss to him.

In recalling his fondness for the 95-year-old, Mahathir, a world-renowned leader himself, said Mandela is his favourite leader.

"Whenever I am asked who I admire most among the leaders I have met, I have no hesitation in naming Nelson Mandela.

"He was a forgiving person. He bore no animosity towards those who had imprisoned him and all he cared about was reconciliation and the sharing of his country’s wealth and opportunities between the blacks and whites.

"Few in the world have exhibited this kind of magnanimity," Mahathir said in a statement.

Mahathir said Mandela was a truly great leader with incredible fortitude and unflinching dedication to the cause of social justice.

Dr Mahathir said the passing of his dear friend was received with great sadness and a deep sense of loss.

“His passing is a great personal loss to me and to all African people.”

Mandela visited Malaysia twice in 1993 and 1997 to strengthen diplomatic ties between South Africa and Malaysia, when Mahathir was the Prime Minister.