Despite a childhood dream of wanting to trot in the meadows on a horse, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he managed to own and saddle one only upon reaching the age of 60.

He said this was because he hailed from an impoverished family and the only horses he saw were those in pictures.

I envied those horse riders in the pictures but never dreamt of the day when I could have my own horse, he said in an interview with Chinese daily Nanyang Siang Pau published today.

In conjunction with the interview, the daily also printed in its business section a full-page 2002 calendar depicting Mahathir handling the reins of a horse cart. Nanyang , together with the China Press , were taken over by the MCA in a controversial deal last year.

Prior to the interview conducted at the Selangor Royal Equestrian Club, Mahathir reportedly went for a horse ride with several prominent figures

Galloping alongside the premier were business tycoon Vincent Tan, SEA Games equestrian gold medalist Kamaruddin Abdul Ghani, Arab-Malaysian Banking Group chairperson Azman Hashim and Tenaga Nasional Bhd chairperson Jamaluddin Jarjis.

The paper also said that Jamaluddin had presented Mahathir with an air-conditioned riding helmet before the group set off on their ride.

Tall Pathans

Mahathir told the daily that he did not fulfil his dream of horse riding immediately after he became prime minister in 1981.

I could afford a horse then but I was just too busy with work, he recalled.

The premier said it was not until 1984 that he owned his first horse which was brought back from Pakistan.

He explained that he felt a desire to own a horse after he saw Pathan tribesmen riding horses in a performance during his official visit to Pakistan that year.

Those Pathan men were six feet tall and they looked very good on the horses, recalled the premier.

I thought I could look just like them once I got onto the horse, but we cant cheat ourselves with our height of typical Asian people, he noted.

Don Louis

Mahathir revealed he has more than 20 horses now with his favourite an Argentine black stallion called Don Louis .

To a question on whether he rides horses to release work-related pressure, Mahathir, who has been in power for 21 years, replied, Pressure? When I am riding a horse, I truly enjoy it and I dont think of my work at all.

He said his Chinese friends told him years ago that the first syllable of his name Ma means horse in Mandarin.

Mahathir added he was delighted with that translation which has been used in Chinese newspapers for the past two decades.

Thats why I feel like a horse which has the stamina to travel far, he said.

With Chinese New Year approaching, Mahathir expressed hope that Chinese entrepreneurs in the country excelled this year which was the Year of the Horse according to the Chinese lunar calender.

He said the government wished to reduce the countrys dependence on foreign investment and Chinese businessmen could help boost local capital.

If Chinese entrepreneurs make profits out of their business, they can also contribute to society by helping those in need, he said.