Mahathir repeats call for noninterference

Mahathir repeats call for noninterference

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (AP): Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad stressed Thursday that leaders from regional nations shouldn't dabble in the domestic affairs of member countries.

He warned that leaders who began sniping at each other would end up undermining the unity of the nine-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

"I think if we start doing that, then that will be very bad because we all have got a lot of things to criticize about each other," he told reporters after meeting with Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah at his palace.

Mahathir is in Brunei for a two-day visit to promote trade and the Asian economic crisis.

He added that if any Southeast Asian nation needed to air its grouses with another member country, it should do so "one-to- one."

Mahathir's comments were clearly directed at Philippine President Joseph Estrada and Indonesian President B.J. Habibie, who have spoken out against Malaysia's treatment of ousted deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Mahathir fired Anwar, 51, after the two differed on economic policy. Anwar began rallying opposition to Mahathir and was arrested Sept. 20. He appeared at court hearings with a black eye, bruises and a neck brace, saying he was beaten in police custody.

Anwar has pleaded innocent to 10 charges of sexual misconduct and corruption. He faces trial on Nov. 2.

Mahathir, Asia's longest-serving ruler, has heaped scorn on Habibie and Estrada, both in office for barely five months, for openly discussing Anwar.

The Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia are founding members of ASEAN, and Mahathir on Thursday acknowledged there were problems between member nations due to the Anwar affair. But he dismissed those as "hiccups."

So far, trade between Brunei and Malaysia has reached nearly 600 million ringgit (US$158 million) this year, compared to 830 million ringgit ($218 million) for 1997.