[Malaysia] Tun Mahathir gives the Western powers a taste of their own medicine

Tun Mahathir gives the Western powers a taste of their own medicine

Tun Mahathir spoke what was happening in the world, but it was not what Western diplomatics, including the EU representatives and the British ambassador, wanted to hear. They walked out. Earlier, the NGOs, which prescribe their narrow points of view on rest of the world but not in their eventual countries of origin, protested Tun Mahathir's human rights record before the event, and most boycotted the event. As they would. They thought that their protests would stop Tun Mahathir, so the Western diplomats would not have to walk out. I fault Tun Mahathir on a lot of things, but speaking what is right, especially of matters Islamic and the Middle East, is not one of them. He is part of what is wrong with UMNO's rule of Malaysia, but his role in the larger picture was ignored until he resigned as Prime Minister after 22 years. Today, he is ignored at home, the changes at Proton, where he is adviser, took place without his knowledge, as he himself, had admitted, but his comments on wold topics are eagerly awaited. He is, like Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, a Prime Minister was not educated in England. He is the best example of an UMNO leader who could throw fear into Western eyes in what he says, as the human rights talk last Friday revealed.

What did he say that upset the Western diplomats that led them to walkout of his public lecture? He catalogued the deaths of 500,000 children, the powers broke international laws about human rights and still do, British and American policies that resulted in hundred thousand deaths and more before the invasion. "The result of the invasion is that many more people have been killed than Saddam ever has been accused of. Worse still, the powers that be which were supposed to save the Iraqi people have broken international laws on human rights," he said at a public lecture organised by the government-run Human Rights Commission of Malaysia or Suhakam. And he indirectly scolded the NGO for not commenting on these breaches of human rights. The double standards were clear among the Western nations, and all kept quiet. The opposition to the war in Iraq began in the West, but not on human rights and deaths of Iraqis, but of deaths of US and UK soldiers. It was only later, as an adjunct to the death of US and UK soldiers, that the other details of breaches of human rights regulations came about. Tun Mahathir continued: "At the time this was happening where were the people who were concerned with human rights? Did they expose the abuses of Britain and America? Did they protest against their own government? No, it is because they say the enemy are killed. That is acceptable. But their own people must not be killed. To kill them is to commit acts of terror."

Mr Cleghorn said in a statement after walking out of the speech: "Unfortunately, I found myself listening to abuse and misrepresentation about my country." He would have been given the speech and Tun Mahathir's views are well known. Why did he then attend? And the EU representatives attend? To walk out, so the papers at home would know what brilliant work they had done to put an Asian leader in place? The West is trying to create governments in Africa and Asia in their image. Their version of democracy is meant only for those educated in their image. Once – and it happened in India – the democracy they prefer brings in a government they do not like, they moan about the death of democracy. They are all right now. Malaysia is still run by people who speak English the way the English and the American do, and they believe in the Western view on the war or terror. The newspapers are all pro-Western oriented. So what we get is a Malaysian version of the Western view, or straight Western view, through Western news agencies and newspapers, there is no report done on the Western or rather Christian crusade against Islam that is now going on in the Western world. The Muslims are reacting in kind. With internet and fast means of communication, there is no advantage now. The street has a different view in the Middle East to the UK and US view of the war and terror and the war on Iraq. It is modern communications that gave the world the news that the reasons for going to war in Iraq were non-existent. The UK and US have targetted Al-Jazeera, for instance, because they reported what the Western agencies did not, and what it wrote was read in the Western model TV and radio watched by people who are Arabians on the street and questioned the invasion. What Pope Urban 11 started in 1089, President Bush and Mr Tony Blair continues. The Moslems are fighting back in the way they know how, by guerrila warfare, car bombs and by suicide bombers.

He was against the view that Chin Peng was a freedom fighter. In this, he echoed the view of UMNO, which allows no freedom fighter other than its member. He should have kept his mouth shut. Chin Peng is fighting his case to return to Malaysia at the High Court later this month. He is a Malaysian citizen, having been born in the Dindings, then a British colony, where he automatically became a Malaysian if he did not become a British subject. But the people in power in UMNO who agreed to Chin Peng returning to Malaysia is second- guessed by the Malay in the kampung. So, the conventional wisdom in UMNO these days is the ground, and MCA, founded by Taiwan supporters. The problem about getting an impartial account of those days is that UMNO does not allow it. Chin Peng's memoirs are in the Special Branch of the Malaysian Police, and they have had "no time" to read it. So, the Chin Peng version must wait, although copies are available in Singapore. I have read it. I don't think it is a good account. But that is neither here nor there. Other Malaysians will no doubt have a different view. And they should be allowed their view, especially as his fight led to Malayan independence.

Dr Mahathir defended his stand to criticise Western countries. He told reporters: "As much as they have the right to criticise me, they should give me the right to criticise them...but if you don't want to hear my criticism of them, then you are denying my right." What he is a truth rarely mentioned because people like Tun Mahathir are rarities and can be picked at random. But education is a wonderful thing. It allows the native to think, and what they think is not the West wants to hear. Today, India and Pakistan are members of the nuclear club, but they fought their way into it, after the two countries made their own nuclear devices. Iran is the next member of the club, to be followed by North Korea. You cannot stop them, but they make them for fear of what the US would do. The US soldier is complainging about depleted uranium they had to handle in Iraq, and get health problems. The New Zealand government two decades ago barred US navy ships from its ports, because it would not say it carried nuclear missiles. That DU bullets are used in Iraq as it was in the Plain of Jars in Vientiane in Laos, who was not part of the war against the Vietminh, and its health problems will be with the people of the area two decades after the DU missiles or bullets are used. North Korea develops its nuclear weapons because it is afraid of the US army just south of the border with South Vietnam uses DU bullets. The US now threaten to use nuclear weapons on any country it suspects of having weapons of mass destruction. But this WMD might not exist, as in Iraq, and not following America's dictates are enough to be pulversed by nuclear weapons.

The Asian and African power has to fight their way into the Western scheme of things. They find the West acts as a closed shop, and they have to fight their way through. Japan sold its cars around, against the Western car makers, and sold better cars cheaper, until today it is a member of the Western car manufacturers. They begain their effort to be recognised in the 1960s. China fights its way to be accepted as an industialiased nation, as Japan did in the 1960s, but it will win the fight. The West has changed its tactics, and are in China. All the major car manufacturers are in China. But China is an industrial power in its own right. IBM computers will now be made and sold by the Chinese. IBM in the US has increased its profits be having their computers made in Taiwan and in China, and how sold the computer division to the Chinese. China has offered to sell Proton cars at 40 per cent of its manufacturing value, but this was vetoed by the Proton board, all Western oriented, who would rather manufacture it locally or get money for not manufacturing it. But it will soon mean that Malaysia will not have a motor car industry. The Proton car was set up to allow the Malay to be confident with tools and heavy machinery, but it was the bosses who made money out of buying the parts from Malaysian Chinese foundries set up for the purpose. Now these foundries would make spare parts for the European cars. If you are a Western lackey, like Thailand, then you get the immediate benefits of it. Thailand has a motor manufacturing industry of western countries, and makes a good living out of it.

The Hindus ended the British empire. The two men credited with ending the British empire are Mangal Pandey, who objected to biting off the lard off British bullets, and paid with his life, and Mahatma Gandhi, a British agent at one time. But he destroyed the British Empire. The Muslims now fight against the American empire. The Americans thought there was no difference in Shia and Sunni Islam in Arab lands. There is. Sunni Islam is dominant in Arab lands, Shia Islam in Iran, which is not an Arab nation. If Saddam Hussein is put on trial, Sunni Muslims all over the middle East will rise in his favour. A death sentence for him, which if not carried out, will evoke victory for Sunni Muslims. Saddam Hussein, a former CIA agent like Osama bin Laden, will be fighting for Arab Islam with his death or with his time in jail. The US have aroused Muslims all over the world, by trying to control the Middle East, and who are now in jihad over the United States. The moderate Islamists in the West and elsewhere will you that it is wrong, but the Muslim street do not read the talking heads or the intellectuals in Islam. What happens in Pakistan is instructive. The government of Parvez Musharaf is with the United States, even helping the US capture Pakistani citizens to Guantanamo prison where they are held without charge and without hope of release. But the people do not agree with their government, and go about calling the US a "satanic" country. The Muslims will be the end of the American empire.

M.G.G. Pillaipillai@streamyx.com