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.