Bravo to PM Mahathir Mohamad

I watched Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad the other night on CNN's international news Q&A program. I was very much impressed by him.

I would have liked to express my admiration for him directly via the telephone but then I thought that writing to The Jakarta Post would do just as well.

Mahathir is today a star of Asia and I'm proud of him. He is an extraordinary Asian figure like former prime minister of Singapore Lee Kwan Yeuw.

He is an authoritarian leader in a positive sense. He has proved himself by bringing his country forward with tremendous progress both economically and politically.

At the same time, he has committed himself to providing his people with a clean government and introducing a professional attitude, not only in words but in deeds.

He declares war against corruption and fights inefficiency. He has the guts to unveil the truth, make his people understand their weaknesses and tries to help them improve themselves and build their confidence.

Mahathir develops a stable foundation for his multiracial and multicultural society with a concept of logic and understanding.

By preparing Ibrahim Anwar, the broad-minded intellectual with great accountability as his successor, Mahathir seems to be a man with a vision.

He stands up for Asia, yet adopts western standards in many ways. I would say that he is a strong character with great pragmatism who has been successful in combining the good Eastern values with the good Western values.

Bravo to you, Mr. Mahathir Mohamad! You are a candid example for your people. I certainly hope that Indonesia can learn from you.

JENNY LASALIA LAURITZ

Jakarta