Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, known for his unyielding stance, has maintained that he was undaunted by public sentiment throughout his decades-long career, even if his pursuit of Malaysia’s welfare earned him the label of “dictator”.

From his ascent to the country’s top political post to his tumultuous relationship with protege turned critic and now Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Mahathir recounted his political odyssey in a Malaysian documentary chronicling his professional life and the secret to his long-enduring marriage.

“I’m always being asked what is my legacy. I don’t care about it. They may identify me as a dictator, that is their right,” the 100-year-old says in My Name is Mahathir.

“From the very beginning, I decided that I don’t care what people think about me as long as I am doing the right thing,” added Mahathir, who transformed Malaysia from an agrarian-based economy into a manufacturing powerhouse.

The 65-minute film about the country’s longest-serving prime minister, who remained in power for more than 24 years, won a silver medal for documentaries at a media festival in Germany last week.

Mahathir acknowledged the impossibility of weeding out corruption – an issue that drove a wedge between him and his deputy Anwar in the 1990s and ultimately led to the younger politician’s sacking.