Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad’s lectures

Answering the question if the world had a need in a super-power that could be a challenge for the USA, Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad gave the positive answer, having expressed his sincere interest in Russia to retrieve its power.

This was informed by the English issue of the Malaysian newspaper Star in its yesterday’s report about the completion of the Malaysian premier’s visit to Russia. Mahathir bin Mohamad is one of the outstanding political figures of the present. The point of the Malaysian economic miracle is the fact that this country has become one of the leading exporters of electronic devices and appliances; its yearly income has increased from $300 to $4000 per capita. This all happened in Malaysia over 50 years, after the country was liberated from the oppression of the British colonialism. Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad played a very important role in this respect, he has been the head of the Malaysian government for over twenty years, taking into consideration the fact that was re-elected on this position over and over again by means of honest and legal elections.

Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad is also a big figure in another miracle, which is connected with the first one to a certain extent – the harmony between religions and races, which allowed for the Malaysian, Chinese, Indian, Buddhist, Islamic, Christian communities to co-exist peacefully. Malaysia is one of the most stable countries of the East, which successfully pulled itself out from the Asian financial crisis of 1997, and the eight percent economic growth came back in the year 2000. The level of employment in the country is 100%. So, Malaysia is turning from a developing to a developed country, pursuant to Mahathir bin Mohamad’s program, which is meant for the period until 2020.

The chairman of the Malaysian government stands against any form of terrorism. He has become the key figure of the international pressure on the USA to make it fit its “anti-terrorist operation” the legal framework. Mahathir bin Mohamad condemned the way the US Air Force was running its activities, leading to the victims among the Afghan civilians. Mahathir bin Mohamad’s prestige as an ideologist, an expert in the global world and economic order is immense, so his opinions on the global issues of our times are serious and profound.

Need for Russia to be strong to balance power

Sunday, March 17, 2002 Dr Mahathir Mohamad is confident that Russia will become a great power again to provide the balance of power needed in the world. It is important for everything in life to be balanced. If you have too much weight on one side, you are likely to be toppled, so in international affairs, you need a balance of power. Russia is able to balance the might of other countries, I think that will afford many weak countries the choice of changing sides (and) the option to defect. And because of this option, both sides will behave,»the Prime Minister told Malaysian and foreign journalists at the end of his four-day visit.

Globalisation can mean recolonisation

KUALA LUMPUR, April 11. 2000 Southeast Asia risks being colonised again unless the forces of globalisation are regulated..."We did not fight to be free of the old imperialism in order to have the privilege of bowing before the new imperialism," he said in a speech opening a two-day ASEAN Business Summit. "The question is, if we can have the good the globalisation can bring and reject the possible destruction and subjugation of our economies?"

Malaysia's experience had shown that the process, apart from encouraging foreign investment, could also mean massive outflows of capital "to impoverish and weaken us and to prepare us for foreign takeovers of our businesses, and possibly our countries too." Globalisation could be "very good" for the region if countries had a say in its interpretation and exercised some control over capital flows.

"I believe no human being can accept the doctrine that business can do whatever they like, governments should allow business to do whatever they like, and if bones are crushed and lives are ruined, it's okay." He called for liberalisation to be regulated and for nations to have a say in the process. "Who wants a brave new world without rules, where businesses are free to do as they please, where like 007 they have a licence to kill?"

Why is it that these countries are now so incapable of repeating their past performance

Why is it that these countries which had so successfully risen from the ashes of World War II, are now so incapable of repeating their past performance, repeating the magic that propelled their devastated economies to become economic tigers and dragons, admired for the miracles they performed. The answer lies in their loss of self-respect and self-confidence. Almost without exception they believe that they were guilty of unacceptable practices when they rebuilt their economies after the devastation of war or the dead weight of colonial rule. They believe that to gain respect they must do everything the way the western countries are supposed to do... They struggle on to reform the way they are told they should. They accept the remedy prescribed without questioning whether it is suitable for them or not...

Why great empires have been set up which eventually failed

In history great empires have been set up which eventually failed. If we care to study their failures, we will find they are due to a loss of stamina, a change in values and culture, and a lackadaisical attitude of the succeeding generation. Life became too easy and no more effort is put in to pressure and sustain what had been built in the past. And so the empires collapse.

Isn’t it amazing that such a small country as Malaysia, with its population of 24 million, a country, which does not have any A-bombs or missiles, but is being rather active on the political arena, calling the things by their proper names, and not saying yes all the time to President Bush, taking care of its own dignity?

Andrey Krushinsky PRAVDA.Ru Beijing China

Translated by Dmitry Sudakov