National day sees Mahathir scolding, joking<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Veteran Asian leader Mahathir Mohamad
\nmarked Malaysia's independence day on Friday by scolding his
\npeople in poetry, joking about Japan's economy and sermonizing on
\nIslam.<\/p>\n
Shooting from the lip in vintage style, Prime Minister
\nMahathir:
\n-- Berated ethnic-Malays for becoming \"too laid back\" because of
\nhis affirmative action program, but denied that it was his fault.
\n-- Said Japan adopted his \"Look East\" economic policy, but
\nunfortunately saw the United States and got into serious
\ndifficulties.
\n-- Accused Islamic militants of plotting to topple his 20-year-
\nold government.<\/p>\n
Mahathir, Asia's longest-serving elected leader, was speaking
\nat a series of functions leading up to the 44th anniversary on
\nFriday of Malaysia's independence from Britain.<\/p>\n
His poem, which has been set to music and will be sung by
\nlocal star Safura in public on Sunday, says Malays failed to
\nlearn from 450 years of colonialism, though quite what the
\nlessons were is lost in poetic fancy.<\/p>\n
But he was more specific about the failings of Malays at a
\nluncheon Thursday, when he was asked about his policy giving them
\nand other indigenous peoples privileges over ethnic-Chinese and
\nIndian citizens.<\/p>\n
\"They did not see anything that is threatening at all. As a
\nresult, some people seem to be too laid back and not willing to
\nmake any effort.<\/p>\n
\"It is not really my mistake, and I thought it is a good
\nthing, but the response was not in the way we set it out,\" said
\nMahathir, who recently labeled Malay men \"lazy\".<\/p>\n
At the same function, he said his \"Look East\" economic policy
\nalso seemed like a good idea at first, because it enabled
\nMalaysia to develop its economy using the Japanese model.<\/p>\n
\"Of course today Japan is not doing well because it decided to
\nLook East (as well): when it looked east it saw the United
\nStates.<\/p>\n
\"Now Japan is seriously trying to re-invent itself and try to
\nproduce the kind of structure that does not suit its culture.\"<\/p>\n
Mahathir, a regular scourge of Western ways, said that while
\nMalaysia continued to Look East it now did so to try to avoid
\nrepeating Japan's mistakes.<\/p>\n
Taking off his flippant luncheon hat, the prime minister
\ndonned a well-worn political sniper's helmet for an address to
\nthe nation and took a few shots at the main opposition party.<\/p>\n
He said Islamic extremists were using religion to ignite
\nhatred of the government and setting up militant wings to seize
\npower, despite the fact that Malaysia was already seen by many
\nMuslims a model Islamic nation.<\/p>\n
\"Spurred by a desire to create an Islamic state of their
\ndream\", extremists \"want to kill, terrorize and seek the
\nassistance of foreign fanatics,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Although he did not name the Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), it
\nwas the obvious target.<\/p>\n
PAS wants to create a more rigid Islamic state in Malaysia,
\nand has been linked by the government to a \"Malaysian Mujahideen
\nGroup\" blamed for a spate of crimes including the bombing of a
\nchurch and an Indian temple.<\/p>\n
Ten alleged members of the group, including seven members of
\nPAS, have been held under the draconian Internal Security Act,
\nwhich allows detention without trial.<\/p>\n
PAS gained dramatically increased support in 1999 elections
\nand accuses the government of labeling its members 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
Mahathir said his government had given all Malaysians the
\nopportunity to prosper, adding: \"Those who deny this fact are an
\nungrateful lot.\"<\/p>",
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