Mahathir was trained as a physician in Singapore at the King Edward VII College of Medicine. On September 15, 1978, he was appointed as the deputy prime minister and Education minister of Malaysia and officially became the prime minister of Malaysia on July 16, 1981.
During his 22 years in office, he has contributed a lot to Malaysia in various fields. On October 31, 2003, Mahathir resigned and left his position to the former Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
