The new `Malaysia Boleh!' (Malaysia can do it) seemed to take hold and coincide with the period of growth. The Malaysia Book of Records had also been started and people now try to pull off unusual feat to get into it. The new competitive spirit, combined with the desire to show that Malaysians could do anything, generated much excitement in the country. Datuk Azhar Mansor sailed solo around the world; Datuk M. Magendran and Datuk N. Mohanadas climbed Mount Everest; Datuk Abdul Malik Mydin swam across the English Channel [...] People cheered these plucky Malaysians and saw their achievements as, if not world-beating, at least world-class.