Mahathir says militants forming Islamic states

Mahathir says militants forming Islamic states

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): A militant Islamic unit in Malaysia has
formed a pact with other groups in Indonesia and the Philippines
to establish Islamic states in the three Southeast Asian
countries, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said.

"Their objective is so ambitious -- to set up Islamic
governments in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines through
force -- but it will not be that easy," the Sunday Star newspaper
quoted Mahathir as saying.

But Mahathir said the objective of the "Malaysian Mujahideen
Group" was unrealistic, saying they believed the existing
governments of the three countries were un-Islamic and headed by
infidels.

The premier said the emergence of the Malaysian Mujahideen
Group and other extremist sects was the result of students being
influenced by teachers who wanted to further their own political
agenda.

"According to a survey carried out by the government, at least
300 Malay university students admitted they did not feel they
were Malays, and wanted to be acknowledge only as Muslims," he
said.

"But the irony is that their brand of Islam is only limited to
hating a government which they perceived as un-Islamic. Nothing
more."

Mahathir's remarks reflect repeated allegations that the
Malaysian Mujahideen Group is responsible for a spate of crimes
including the bombing of a church and an Indian temple.

Ten alleged members of the group, including seven members of
the opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), have been detained
under the Internal Security Act, which allows detention without
trial.

PAS is the main opposition party in Malaysia and accuses
Mahathir's government of trying to label its members as militant
extremists to curb the party's appeal among ethnic Malays.

Malays, who are mostly Muslim, make up more than half of
Malaysia's 23 million population, while ethnic Chinese account
for 25 percent and Indians about seven percent.

In another development, Malaysia hopes the visit this week by
Singapore's Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew will resolve outstanding
issues dogging ties between the neighbors, the foreign minister
said on Sunday.

Malaysia wanted sticking points between the countries to be
resolved so they could focus on strengthening bilateral ties,
Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said as Lee arrived for a four-
day visit.

"Previously we faced a deadlock as each steadfastly held to
its respective stand on the main issues," he said, Bernama news
agency reported.

The Singapore government said in a statement on Sunday that
Lee, in Malaysia from Sept. 2 to 5, and Mahathir "would continue
discussions on the package of outstanding issues between the two
countries."

Ties between the neighbors have been strained by issues around
the supply of water to Singapore, the use of Malaysian airspace
by Singaporean aircraft and the withdrawal of pensions by
Malaysian workers in Singapore.

The location of Malaysia's custom, immigration and quarantine
facility in the city-state has also been a contentious issue.

Syed Hamid said Lee and Mahathir had gone some way to
addressing some of the issues in earlier talks.

"But there is still some gap to be filled before we can reach
consensus. Hence this will be discussed further during Lee's
visit this time," he said.

Lee and his Malaysian hosts were also likely to discuss a
proposed underground railway to link the Malaysian state of Johor
to a railway station in Singapore, officials said.

They were expected to raise Malaysia's proposal to build a
bridge between Johor Bahru, a town in Johor state popular with
Singaporean tourists, and Singapore.

Relations between Malaysia and its tiny but prosperous
neighbor have often been prickly since Singapore was ejected from
the federation of Malaysia in 1965, two years after it was
founded.

Lee traveled to the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur by air on
Sunday. On his last visit in August last year he traveled by road
so that he could see for himself the development being undertaken
by the country.