QUESTION TIME I became a journalist at the Business Times , then a standalone newspaper, in 1978.

Three years later in 1981 Dr Mahathir Mohamad became prime minister of Malaysia, its fourth, succeeding Hussein Onn.

I have followed his career quite closely since and frankly I am not impressed. He started off with promise - and promised a lot - but fulfilled none if any.

In fact I would go so far as to say that he was positively the worst prime minister this country has ever had.