Mahathir supports creation of watchdog

Mahathir supports creation of watchdog

Agence France-Presse, Putrajaya, Malaysia

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has given guarded support to Indonesia's proposal to create an ASEAN Security Community (ASC) to combat terrorism.

The veteran Southeast Asian leader told AFP in an exclusive interview that the proposed ASC must however, exclude defense pacts and binding security arrangements for the 10-member bloc.

"If it is just to combat terrorism, yes, but security arrangement like a defense pact and all that, I don't think that is something that we would like to get involved in," Mahathir said.

"Because we have different ideas. Some people want to have some huge fleet guarding us, we believe in being independent."

Indonesia made the proposal last month during a meeting of foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

It said the idea was born from a shift in sovereign priorities resulting from changes that followed last year's terrorist bombings in Bali and the September 11, 2001 strikes in the United States.

The proposed ASC would include centers for combating terrorism, training in peacekeeping, a center for cooperation in non-conventional issues and regular ASEAN police and defense ministers' meetings.

The Philippines has also voiced reservations but the idea of an ASC generally won popular support in ASEAN and was expected to please dialogue partners such as the United States and Australia.

The proposal is expected to gain ground over the next year as Indonesia has now taken over the ASEAN chair from Cambodia.