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Malaysia`s angry ``old man`` man bows out
Kuala Lumpur, Oct 19: Malaysia`s former angry young man isabout to end his political life as an angry old one.
Kuala Lumpur, Oct 19: Malaysia`s former angry young man is
about to end his political life as an angry old one.
``I like to speak my mind. Sometimes people don`t like it,`` Prime
Minister Mahathir Mohamad told an interviewer this year as he
prepared for retirement on October 31 after 22 years in power.
On the eve of retirement he did it again. Hosting an Islamic summit, Mahathir drew howls of protest from western governments and Israel by saying: ``the Europeans killed six million Jews out of 12 million, but today the Jews rule the world by proxy.``
His real message, that the Arabs should stop fighting a losing battle and sue for peace, was drowned out in the furore over his assertion that a Jewish lobby controlled western powers.
Born in 1925, Asia`s second longest serving elected leader had his world view shaped by life under British colonial rule. Mahathir has been haunted ever since by fear that Malaysia could slip back into economic re-colonisation.
He set out to pull the Malays up from their agrarian roots so that they could stand as equals not just with Chinese compatriots but also with other races in a rapidly globalising world.
Last year, the ``old man``, as he is commonly known, apologised to Malays and said he had failed. Some say he is being too hard on himself.
Mahathir saw enough during his two decades at the top to fear western domination would last well into the 21st century. In September, he told the United Nations General Assembly: ``today we are seeing the resurgence of European imperialism.``
Imbued with notions of social Darwinism, he warned his ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) of the warlike ways of the white ``European race``.
The invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, the Bosnian civil war, the Palestinian struggle, the Asian financial crisis and the damage done by globalisation all raised his ire.
Bureau Report
On the eve of retirement he did it again. Hosting an Islamic summit, Mahathir drew howls of protest from western governments and Israel by saying: ``the Europeans killed six million Jews out of 12 million, but today the Jews rule the world by proxy.``
His real message, that the Arabs should stop fighting a losing battle and sue for peace, was drowned out in the furore over his assertion that a Jewish lobby controlled western powers.
Born in 1925, Asia`s second longest serving elected leader had his world view shaped by life under British colonial rule. Mahathir has been haunted ever since by fear that Malaysia could slip back into economic re-colonisation.
He set out to pull the Malays up from their agrarian roots so that they could stand as equals not just with Chinese compatriots but also with other races in a rapidly globalising world.
Last year, the ``old man``, as he is commonly known, apologised to Malays and said he had failed. Some say he is being too hard on himself.
Mahathir saw enough during his two decades at the top to fear western domination would last well into the 21st century. In September, he told the United Nations General Assembly: ``today we are seeing the resurgence of European imperialism.``
Imbued with notions of social Darwinism, he warned his ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) of the warlike ways of the white ``European race``.
The invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, the Bosnian civil war, the Palestinian struggle, the Asian financial crisis and the damage done by globalisation all raised his ire.
Bureau Report