Mahathir says militants forming Islamic states<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): A militant Islamic unit in Malaysia has
\nformed a pact with other groups in Indonesia and the Philippines
\nto establish Islamic states in the three Southeast Asian
\ncountries, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said.<\/p>\n
"Their objective is so ambitious -- to set up Islamic
\ngovernments in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines through
\nforce -- but it will not be that easy," the Sunday Star newspaper
\nquoted Mahathir as saying.<\/p>\n
But Mahathir said the objective of the "Malaysian Mujahideen
\nGroup" was unrealistic, saying they believed the existing
\ngovernments of the three countries were un-Islamic and headed by
\ninfidels.<\/p>\n
The premier said the emergence of the Malaysian Mujahideen
\nGroup and other extremist sects was the result of students being
\ninfluenced by teachers who wanted to further their own political
\nagenda.<\/p>\n
"According to a survey carried out by the government, at least
\n300 Malay university students admitted they did not feel they
\nwere Malays, and wanted to be acknowledge only as Muslims," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
"But the irony is that their brand of Islam is only limited to
\nhating a government which they perceived as un-Islamic. Nothing
\nmore."<\/p>\n
Mahathir's remarks reflect repeated allegations that the
\nMalaysian Mujahideen Group is responsible for a spate of crimes
\nincluding the bombing of a church and an Indian temple.<\/p>\n
Ten alleged members of the group, including seven members of
\nthe opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), have been detained
\nunder the Internal Security Act, which allows detention without
\ntrial.<\/p>\n
PAS is the main opposition party in Malaysia and accuses
\nMahathir's government of trying to label its members as militant
\nextremists to curb the party's appeal among ethnic Malays.<\/p>\n
Malays, who are mostly Muslim, make up more than half of
\nMalaysia's 23 million population, while ethnic Chinese account
\nfor 25 percent and Indians about seven percent.<\/p>\n
In another development, Malaysia hopes the visit this week by
\nSingapore's Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew will resolve outstanding
\nissues dogging ties between the neighbors, the foreign minister
\nsaid on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Malaysia wanted sticking points between the countries to be
\nresolved so they could focus on strengthening bilateral ties,
\nForeign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said as Lee arrived for a four-
\nday visit.<\/p>\n
"Previously we faced a deadlock as each steadfastly held to
\nits respective stand on the main issues," he said, Bernama news
\nagency reported.<\/p>\n
The Singapore government said in a statement on Sunday that
\nLee, in Malaysia from Sept. 2 to 5, and Mahathir "would continue
\ndiscussions on the package of outstanding issues between the two
\ncountries."<\/p>\n
Ties between the neighbors have been strained by issues around
\nthe supply of water to Singapore, the use of Malaysian airspace
\nby Singaporean aircraft and the withdrawal of pensions by
\nMalaysian workers in Singapore.<\/p>\n
The location of Malaysia's custom, immigration and quarantine
\nfacility in the city-state has also been a contentious issue.<\/p>\n
Syed Hamid said Lee and Mahathir had gone some way to
\naddressing some of the issues in earlier talks.<\/p>\n
"But there is still some gap to be filled before we can reach
\nconsensus. Hence this will be discussed further during Lee's
\nvisit this time," he said.<\/p>\n
Lee and his Malaysian hosts were also likely to discuss a
\nproposed underground railway to link the Malaysian state of Johor
\nto a railway station in Singapore, officials said.<\/p>\n
They were expected to raise Malaysia's proposal to build a
\nbridge between Johor Bahru, a town in Johor state popular with
\nSingaporean tourists, and Singapore.<\/p>\n
Relations between Malaysia and its tiny but prosperous
\nneighbor have often been prickly since Singapore was ejected from
\nthe federation of Malaysia in 1965, two years after it was
\nfounded.<\/p>\n
Lee traveled to the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur by air on
\nSunday. On his last visit in August last year he traveled by road
\nso that he could see for himself the development being undertaken
\nby the country.<\/p>",
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