Mahathir says foreigners still trying to colonise Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 31 (AFP) - Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad greeted the new millennium with a blistering attack on globalisation, saying Western powers were using it to try to recolonise the country.
"The former colonial masters have plans to recolonise us," he said in a new year message carried by the state broadcaster.
"This time a different method will be used to conquer our country. This method is introduced as globalisations and a borderless world," Mahathir said.
He said Western powers would control the economies of weak nations, own banks and businesses and support free capital flows on the grounds that this would eradicate poverty.
"What's strange is that while the free flow of capital transcends borders, humans cannot. The poor will be imprisoned without their own borders so as not to tarnish the rich nations," said Mahathir, whose message was carried by the official Bernama news agency.
"This is a borderless world, this is globalisation. The rich will become richer and the poor will work to enrich the wealthy. Of course the poor nations are also free to penetrate the rich markets but what do they have to sell in the rich markets..?"
Mahathir, a trenchant critic of the West, blamed globalisation for the economic crisis which hit Malaysia and other East Asian countries in 1997.
"They tried and nearly succeeded but we were able to foil the attempt this time and we were able to revive our country's economy," said the premier, who imposed capital controls in September 1998 to deter short-term currency flows and currency speculators.
"But we are not safe yet. Attempts are still being made. If not for the demonstrations against the WTO (World Trade Organisation) in Seattle, maybe another part of our border will have collapsed."
Mahathir also castigated his own people and especially the ethnic Malay majority, urging them to close ranks and exercise greater discipline in the face of what he called recolonisation efforts.
"What is clear is that we are unprepared for the challenges of the new millennium. We, especially the Malays, have the same old habits and culture that caused us to be colonised for four-and-a-half centuries," he said.
Malaysia was granted independence from Britain 42 years ago.
In a reference to the November 29 election in which he retained a two-thirds majority for his National Front coalition, Mahathir said Malaysians of various races had decided that the country would continue to have a credible government.
But the seeds of disunity had been sown among the people and were spreading.
"When the government is concentrating on defending the nation from external attacks, that's the best time to stab it in the back," he said.
Mahathir's United Malays National Organisation, dominant party in the National Front, took only 72 seats in the polls compared to the 94 it held in the last parliament.
The opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia was the main beneficiary of the split among ethnic Malays who once solidly supported UMNO.
Mahathir said globalisation would ultimately fail like other Western ideologies.
"Unfortunately, before a system or ideology can be rejected, many will be sacrificed. We must be careful, close our ranks and set aside difference that could split us as well as face the coming challenges with fortitude and resilience."