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.