Mahathir fears violent uprising  By MARK BAKER ASIA EDITOR SINGAPORE Wednesday 18 April 2001   Mahathir Mohamad The Malaysian Government has stepped up its attack on the country's democracy movement by accusing the opposition of receiving support from Indonesia in preparation for a campaign of violent protests aimed at toppling the government. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said police had evidence that some of the seven opposition leaders arrested last week under the infamous Internal Security Act had contacted radical activists in Jakarta. "They (the police) know that these people had gone to another country to seek help in organising a much more violent kind of demonstration, but I think the police nipped them in the bud by taking the culprits earlier," he said after a meeting of the supreme council of his ruling United Malays National Organisation. Other government leaders earlier claimed the opposition had sought weapons and explosives for use during street protests and had made plans to bring sympathisers from Indonesia to join their campaign. About 5000 opposition supporters led by Wan Azizah, the wife of jailed former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, rallied peacefully in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday to protest at the crackdown on free speech and assembly and tightening controls on the media. Organisers of the protest believe the turnout was much lower than expected due to the threats of further arrests and a show of force by police. The comments by Dr Mahathir are his first public acknowledgement of fears within the leadership that the wave of anti-government sentiment triggered by the jailing of Mr Anwar could develop into the kind of mass uprising that presaged the fall of the Suharto regime in Indonesia. Despite police failure to produce any evidence of planned violence, the opposition leaders are still being held and denied access to lawyers. The use of the Internal Security Act, which allows detention without charge for a minimum of 60 days, has drawn international and domestic criticism, including from Malaysia's government-appointed Human Rights Commission. But Dr Mahathir defended the use of the act and foreshadowed a toughening of laws regulating the media. He said only a small minority were opposed to the use of the act and it would only be reviewed when Malaysians understood the "true meaning" of democracy. "Once the people understand democracy, which means that violence is not used to overthrow the government, we can think of revising the law," he said. In a move apparently targeted at foreign magazines and newspapers, Dr Mahathir said the government would review the Printing Presses and Publications Act, which prohibits the publication of "malicious news" and allows authorities to ban the circulation of publications. "The act may not be very effective. We'll find ways to restore its relevancy," he said. "We don't want to be like the press in other countries, the so-called liberal countries, who tell lies, fabricate stories, provoke people and don't give a fair picture." Authorities have recently held up distribution of foreign news magazines that have reported the country's political and economic problems.

Thursday April 26 'Good' dictators are what some countries need: PM 9:25pm, Thu: DUBAI (AFP) - "Good" dictators rather than Western-style democracy is what some countries in the developing world need to keep up with the challenges of globalisation, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said today in Dubai. "We must put our own houses in order," the 75-year-old leader said in an address entitled 'Meeting the Challenges of the 21st Century: Role of Muslim Nations' to an international forum here. "It is good governance by good people that we need. And feudal kings, even dictators, have provided and can provide good governance," he said. "Some countries must be ruled by dictators" to avoid the pitfalls of multi-party democracy, the Malaysian leader said, acknowledging however that "the problem with a dictator is that he's so difficult to change". He advocated a "moderate democracy" to balance the rights of the majority and the minority. Turning specifically to the Muslim world, Mahathir warned: "We missed the industrial revolution entirely. Now we are faced with the technological revolution. If we miss it, I don't think we will ever recover this time." Keep up with changes Developing countries must work to keep up with technological developments, including in armaments, and not rely on the rich nations, he urged, while warning against the West's interpretation of globalisation. "Let's sit down and work out (with the West) what form globalisation should take ... to the benefit of the rich and the poor," Mahathir, who has been in power since 1981, told the Emirates International Forum. The West's vision of globalisation was that "money can move" without borders "but not people" or labour, he said to applause from the meeting of regional corporate and business leaders. Mahathir said the imperial wars of conquest of past centuries had been replaced by "the dominance of the capitalists" and the West's economic might. "We cannot any more prevent others including our enemies from crossing our borders. If their armies cannot cross, their ideas and their creed can, with impunity," he said. "And these ideas and creed are as effective in subverting and hegemonising as were their armies and occupation forces in the past."

Sekat Demonstrasi Bukan Bermakna Amalan Diktator       DUBAI – Tindakan Kerajaan Malaysia menyekat demonstrasi jalanan bukan bermakna pemimpinnya mengamalkan pemerintahan kuku besi, kata Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad. “Saya tidak diktator. Kalau saya bersikap diktator, saya tidak berani keluar bersiar-siar atau membeli-belah. Saya kini bebas ke mana saja saya mahu tanpa rasa takut,” katanya kepada wartawan Malaysia dan asing dalam sesi soal jawab selepas menyampaikan ucaptama pada Forum Antarabangsa Emiriah. Beliau berkata, demonstrasi jalanan memang tidak dibenarkan kerana ia boleh memberi kesan tidak baik, terutama kepada peniaga, harta benda awam dan imej negara di mata pelancong. “Rakyat yang tidak suka kerajaan memerintah boleh membuat keputusan untuk menukarnya dalam pilihan raya, bukan dengan berdemonstarasi. Malah, cara begitu untuk menjatuhkan kerajaan bukan amalan demokrasi,” katanya. Beliau juga mengingatkan rakyat bahawa usaha menjatuhkan kerajaan dengan cara tidak demokratik seperti di negara lain boleh menjejaskan usaha membangunkan negara secara berterusan. Kalau terlalu sering tukar kerajaan, ia boleh mewujudkan kerajaan yang tidak mantap hingga menyukarkan untuk meneruskan projek pembangunan bagi kepentingan rakyat, katanya. Mengenai proses globalisasi yang sedang dijalankan oleh kebanyakan negara besar di dunia, beliau berkata, perkara itu ada baik dan buruknya. “Globalisasi bukan saja dari segi kemasukan modal, tetapi lebih baik jika turut disertakan dengan penghijrahan orang ke negara lain. China dan India, misalnya begitu ramai penduduknya. Bayangkan jika 300 juta rakyat kedua-dua negara ini dibenarkan berhijrah dan bekerja di Eropah mengikut proses globalisasi. Beliau mendapati, globalisasi hanya menguntungkan kuasa besar untuk menjajah daripada segi ekonomi dengan menanam modal besar-besaran di negara lain, terutama negara sedang membangun. “Negara yang ada duit cuba menawan sesebuah negara. Mereka menanam modal dan dengan sesuka hati menarik balik modal yang sudah dilaburkan. “Malaysia juga terkena. Ada pelabur asing yang menanam modal, tiba-tiba menarik balik perlaburan mereka atau memindahkannya ke negara lain. “Kita cuba melihat perkara ini agar orang yang menanam modal tidak sesuka hati menarik semula modal

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