The staging of the Tun Mahathir musical at Istana Budaya which begins Friday can become a classical presentation to appreciate the contributions of the nation's top leaders, said Rais Yatim.

mahathir touchdown in subang meet supporters 270508 loud speaker He said the leadership and unique attributes of Dr Mahathir Mohamad ( left ) who had tirelessly served the nation and transformed Malaysia into a success story, made the musical relevant to be watched by the general public.

"A statesman like Dr Mahathir who is very relevant to Malaysians and though in his twilight years, he is still an active person and his life serves as beacon for society.

"Because of this and and his uniqueness, we are deeply honoured to stage this musical which captures various aspects of his life so that his struggle can be given the highest esteem for the nation," he told reporters after viewing the preview of the two-and-half-hour musical at Istana Budaya last night.

He said the musical presented by CRTA Production, his ministry and the Women Writers Association of Malaysia, could draw the interest of the public to know the fourth Malaysian prime minister's life journey.

To be staged for 14 days, it tells the story of Mahathir since he was small, when he held the post of prime minister, and his life now.

The cast consists of Esma Daniel who portrays Mahathir in his adulthood, Erra Fazira (Mahathir's wife Dr Siti Hasmah), Zizan Nin (Dr Mahathir as an adolescent) and 2008 Young Idol finalist Mohd Shafeiq Shazwan (the young Mahathir).

The musical is directed by Aswara theatre faculty dean Rosminah Mohd Tahir while the script is written by Ismail Kassan.

- Bernama