INTERVIEW | On Feb 6, 2002, a Malaysian contingent left the remote port town of Ushuala, Argentina, on the Russian icebreaker ship Kapitan Dranitsyn. On board was none other than then premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, a number of other ministers, and leading Malaysian scientists.

The science adviser to the prime minister at the time was Ahmad Zaharudin Idrus, an academic who believes that Malaysia has always had the right ingredients to succeed but has been held back by bureaucracy and corruption.

“Our boat was parked beside the iceberg. I remember Mahathir telling me that it’s very important for us to have national pride and continued development in the field of science,” said Zaharudin in an interview with Malaysiakini earlier this month.

Recalling the historic trip to Antarctica, Zaharudin said “It took probably about two weeks from the base in Argentina. We had to use a Russian icebreaker because you can’t use a normal ship. This ship was specially designed so that it has a round bottom that glides over the ice, while the front is sharp and cuts through.

“I also remember that...