FMT - Dr M: I allowed Israeli team in 1997 to show we were not terrorists (extracts):
PUTRAJAYA: Dr Mahathir Mohamad has again defended Putrajaya’s ban on Israeli athletes taking part in sporting events in Malaysia, saying his stand on the Palestinian conflict has not changed despite once allowing Israeli sportsmen two decades ago.
He was asked why his administration had in 1997 allowed the Israeli cricket team to participate in an international tournament in Kuala Lumpur.
He said he had then allowed the Israelis to enter Malaysia to show that Muslims were not terrorists.
“We are normal people, we talk to people. We behave well,” the prime minister told reporters here.
“We don’t do anything wrong to them. But children who throw stones at them, they shoot bullets,” he said, referring to clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces.
Mahathir was also asked if he would also ban athletes from Myammar and China over their governments’ actions against minorities there, as well as against Saudi Arabia over its Yemen campaign.
“We base it on facts, once we confirm the facts, we will give our opinion,” Mahathir replied.
He was asked why his administration had in 1997 allowed the Israeli cricket team to participate in an international tournament in Kuala Lumpur.
He said he had then allowed the Israelis to enter Malaysia to show that Muslims were not terrorists.
“We are normal people, we talk to people. We behave well,” the prime minister told reporters here.
“We don’t do anything wrong to them. But children who throw stones at them, they shoot bullets,” he said, referring to clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces.
Mahathir was also asked if he would also ban athletes from Myammar and China over their governments’ actions against minorities there, as well as against Saudi Arabia over its Yemen campaign.
“We base it on facts, once we confirm the facts, we will give our opinion,” Mahathir replied.
Though he referred to Jews as those with "hook noses", even as recent as his visit to the UK late last year, I suspect he is not as fervently anti-Jew or anti-Semitic as he has made himself out to be - he is a very devious manipulating man, with only his political interests utmost in his mind as he made his speech, actions and policies.
Why?
The real reason is that Mahathir is playing to the local gallery, to wit, the Malay-Muslim constituency.
He knows/realises his party Pribumi is not as popular with the Malay-Muslims as PAS and UMNO, much as he has hoped for.
At this crucial time in his silent battle with Anwar and others in a struggle to control the Malay votes, so vital to control of power in Malaysia, he cannot afford to be less Malay-Muslim than Anwar Ibrahim, Hadi Awang, or for that matter, Najib Razak.
That was also why he rejected ICERD, namely the elimination of racial discrimination and the promotion of understanding among all races, and yet brazenly in the same breath, justifies barring Israel for racial and human rights discrimination against Palestinians.
Just recall how Mahathir was not shy about using a Jew, Jack Abramoff, who was convicted for corruption and fraud, to lobby for a photo-op with George Bush Jnr. Mahathir himself admitted Abramoff was paid US$1.2 million for that lobbying job though he claimed neither he nor the Malaysian paid that sum to Abramoff.
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Jack Abramoff |
Thus, in my opinion, Mahathir does not give nor care a damn about Jews and Middle-East politics, UNLESS his political interests profit from it.
As his Pribumi party currently lacks more substantial power (as compared to his UMNO in 1997), it has galvanised him to do something drastic against Israel in order to win brownie points from the more gullible Malay-Muslim constituency.
It's clear, as day passes that the survival of the PH coalition and Govt. will be split so long as TDM continue to head the coalition as PM until the next GE15.
ReplyDeleteWhy must the PH coalition leaders continue with the waiting game of seeing TDM bringing reforms when it is clear he is no such Reformist? He is today what he was when he ruled as Ceasar for 22 years ago. The only difference is a different coalition and party name only.
TDM and his party BERSATU/PPBM is a cancer to the PH coalition and must be cut off/amputated before the whole coalition dies together with him.
Malaysia's political parties just do not have any men of calibre to lead a country and the next best leader seems to be DSAI. Whatever is said about him etc, it looks like the survival of the PH coalition and Govt. is now very much in his hands.
DSAI must act fast and be as Machievellian as TDM once was when in power. Hopefully, he does not turn out to be another mediocre leader and can chart a new vision for the country and it's people.
In the meantime, Malaysians can continue groaning and whimpering as racists and religious bigots continue with their monstrous agenda to attain power and rob the country blind.
Malaysia is painting itself into a corner in a "psychological-war" that it cannot win.
ReplyDeleteThe International Paralympics Committee should kick Malaysia out of the Tokyo games for being such poor sports. We have done quite well in past games, winning six gold medals and ten in total. Then our poor paralympians will be the poor helpless victims as our politicians like Toonsie and Saadiq foam in the mouth at Israel.
Not all Israelis are Zionists or even Jews for that matter. 25% are Arab Muslims and Christians.
I hope the event will be moved from Sarawak to Tel Aviv. That would be a big slap in the face for us. And deservedly so.
Even if the swim meet is moved to say London will Malaysian athletes pull out of every event where an Israeli is also participating?. Come on Toonsie & Saadiq, how far are you willing to play this game? Will you also order Malaysian para-athletes to withdraw from the ASEAN Para-Games in January 2020 because Myanmar, the Rohingya-persecutors, is also participating?
And in retaliation if Christian Malaysians are no longer allowed special entry visas issued by Israel to perform their pilgrimage who will suffer? The little innocent guys.
Mahathir's extreme foreign policy pronouncements have got him into big trouble before. You never know when you need another country's goodwill.
ReplyDeleteHe pursued an anti-American stand, even though in 1990's , the US was Malaysia's largest trading partner.
The situation eventually got to the point where he NEEDED to meet the US President, but the doors were closed. He had to pay substantial "lobbying funds" to arrange the meeting with the US President, which Sing, for example, does not need to because of its alliance with the Yanks, especially the unsinkable aircraft-carrier base in Changi.
Contrary to Ktemoc's tar, I don't love Israel; I just don't see the situation there in black and white terms. The Israelis have done very nasty things in the name of national defence, but they aren't all bad. The Palestinians aren't angels.
On the subject of the Olympics, the Palestinians committed the most dastardly terrorist massacre in Olympic history.
Israel lives in a very dangerous region, where most of its neighbours do not recognise its right to exist.
4 times in the last 70 years have tried to strangle Israel by force. They failed, but If they had succeeded, the massacre of Israeli Jews would have run into rivers of blood. Holocaust 2.0
They did not succeed, but not for lack of trying.
There was a reason for the original Malaysian bid to host the 2019 World Paralympic Swimming Championships.
ReplyDeleteThough this is not a huge event, it would have in a moderate way, raised Malaysia's international profile and benefitted the country.
One of Malaysia's main problems on the international stage has been it is a somewhat developed and competent country that very few people know about. A lot of potential foreign investors , for example, know nothing about Malaysia. They know Singapore (efficient but costly) , Thailand (low cost, but not efficient) , but Malaysia never comes to mind in their assessments.
There is always a significant international Press and TV contingent at such events. It will bring along its moderate share of international visitors , spectators, and tourist dollars.
If competently organised, it would enhance Malaysia's credibility to bid for hosting larger international sports and other events in future.
Now all that is gone up in smoke, all to satisfy the Muslim anti-Semitic vote bank. I suppose you can isi perut with anti-Yahudi.