Do roku 1997 se Mahathír dostal na vrchol moci a dovedl občany k přesvědčení, že nepotrvá dlouho a všechny komunity v zemi budou sdílet společnou malajsijskou národnost.
By 1997, Mahathir was at the pinnacle of his power, inspiring the country to believe that it would not be long before all of the country's communities would see themselves as sharing a common Malay nationality.