Mahathir akaberekerwa kumba kwevabereki vake munharaunda yevarombo yeAlor Setar, guta guru rehurumende yeKedah, British Malaya, musi wa10 Chikunguru 1925. Baba vake, Mohamad, vaive vekusanganiswa kweMalay neIndia; amai vake, Wan Tempawan, vaive Malay. Mahathir's non-Malay ancestry, iyo yaakaramba akanyarara zvakanyanya panguva yebasa rake rezvematongerwo enyika, chinhu chakagovaniswa nevatungamiriri vatanhatu veMalaysia. Asi chimwe chinhu chekuzvarwa kwaMahathir chakamusiyanisa kubva kune vamwe vashanu: haana kuzvarwa mumhuri yepamusoro kana yemhuri ine mukurumbira yechitendero kana yezvematongerwo enyika.
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