Oleh/By : DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : LONDON
Tarikh/Date : 22/07/87
Tajuk/Title : THE DINNER HOSTED BY THE BRITISH-
MALAYSIAN SOCIETY
It gives me great pleasure to meet members of the
British-Malaysian Society tonight. Your Society's list of
membership is most impressive. A Society such as this can
certainly play a key role in further enhancing bilateral
relations between our two countries. I am pleased to learn
of the various activities undertaken by the Society towards
this direction and would like to assure you that the
contribution that you have made is indeed appreciated by the
Malaysian Government.
2. In developing bilateral relations the role of the
government and the private sector are complementary. The
quality of the relationship, its breadth and depth, would
depend considerably on the private sector of both sides if
it is not to become too formal. After all it is the private
sector which provides the people to people contact so
essential towards upgrading relations between two countries.
3. The quality of the relationship between countries
cannot be taken for granted. History, that great but
frequently ignored teacher, tells us that yesterday's
friends can be today's foes and today's foes can be
tomorrow's friends. If we value friendship then we should
all work to develop and sustain it. When the private sector
has a good content of personal relationship, Governments can
be easily influenced by it. I remember when relationship
between Malaysia and Britain was strained some years back,
it is the non-Governmental people, in particular the members
of your society, who paved the way towards an acceptable
reconciliation.
4. It is imperative, therefore, that the British-Malaysian
Society maintain its interest and love for Malaysia in order
that Malaysia/Britain relationship should always be
friendly. You are what the Americans call, a lobby.
Happily you don't require to be paid for your services. You
do it out of genuine concern and friendship. And you are,
of course, the more effective because of that. Malaysia
is grateful and appreciative.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
5. Let me say something about Malaysia. We are what we
are partly because of the contribution by the British. I
will not pretend that there was such a country as Malaysia
before the British came. We were separate small Malay
Sultanates which had a tendency to break up into smaller
states because the Sultans gave away chunks of land which
then became Malay states. The British created Malaya and
created the preconditions for Malaysia.
6. The Democratic form of Government, Constitutional
Monarchy, the separation of the Legislative from the
Executive and the Judicial branches was also British. The
Civil Service system was pioneered by British officers. The
rubber industry and the expansion of tin mining also took
place during the British colonial period.
7. But the British were also responsible for the biggest
headache that Malaysia faces today -- race relations. The
British brought in Chinese and Indians without thinking at
all about the effect on the Malays. Today we are saddled
with the problem of managing three separate races with three
separate incompatible cultures and religions. If today
these people are not at each others throat it is certainly
not due to any help from others.
8. The British left us this problem. We are independent
now and we really do not expect to be helped in resolving
our race problems. But it is disappointing that certain
sections of the British society refuse to see how successful
we have been at managing race relations in Malaysia.
Instead, they have gone out of their way to undermine our
efforts.
9. We wish to be friends with the British. The British
Government and certainly the British-Malaysian Society are a
great help. But we do get irritated by what seems to be
deliberate efforts to misunderstand Malaysia. One
influential opinion maker in Britain derided our production
of commodities which it says nobody wants. But this same
institution also condemns Malaysia's efforts to
industrialise. If you don't produce commodities and you
don't industrialise, then what do we do?.
10. I say the failure to understand is deliberate because
even someone who is not an old Malaysia-hand would notice
the progress that Malaysia has made since independence.
Economic growth attained an average of 6% per annum. Clean
elections, in which it is possible for opposition candidates
to win, are held at regular intervals. Racial tolerance and
harmony are well above average. Development is rapid and
well spread out. Per capita income rose from about $300
ringgit in the year of independence to $4,000 ringgit now.
Indeed the whole appearance of the country has changed that
many find it difficult to classify Malaysia as a developing
country - and consequently charge us higher interest rates.
11. But none of these positive aspects has received any
attention from the British media. This is fine. But if there
is but one negative aspect or happening, the world will be
told about it in vistavision. We know it is not the British
Government. We know it is not the majority of the British
people. But the kind of unfair treatment of Malaysia cannot
but sour relationship. We cannot do anything, of course.
Press freedom is the essence of democracy. We must have it
even if it destroys us.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
12. Malaysia has progressed despite the myriads of problems
which it has to face. And Malaysia will continue to
progress. We are great believers in the market economy --
in free trade. Every country has to protect itself. We
accept that too. But the rich and the powerful should not
bully the poor and the weak.
13. We believe strongly in interdependence. No country can
be so self-sufficient that it can isolate itself, neither
the United States nor Russia. We have to trade with each
other. To trade we have to have money to buy the goods we
need or the luxuries. The only way we can pay for these is
for us to be able to sell our produce at fair prices.
Impoverishing a country does not help anyone.
14. I used to think that increasing prosperity in the
developed countries cannot but enrich the poor countries --
as the commodities that poor countries produce will find
better markets. But now I know better. It is possible for
rich countries to get richer by forcing the prices of
commodities down. That is what is happening now.
15. In addition rich countries meet and fiddle with
currencies and exchange rates. The net result of commodity
and currency manipulation is that some of our exports now
fetch only one-fourth of their former prices. With that
kind of earnings we are not likely to buy the products of
the rich countries. On the other hand the forced
depreciation of our currency has resulted in almost doubling
the local cost of our foreign debt.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
16. As a society dedicated to the affairs of Britain and
Malaysia, I am sure you would like to see the relationship
between the poor countries and the rich be productive and
beneficial to both sides. During the early period of
Malaysia's independence, British-Malaysia relations was
good. But quite early on, a policy of equidistance with all
countries was adopted by Malaysia. Gradually Britain and
Malaysia drifted apart.
17. The old relationship will never return. But neither
should we drift further apart. There is a tremendous
reservoir of goodwill in both countries. It should be an
easy matter to tap this reservoir. There are bodies in
Malaysia and in the United Kingdom who can do this.
Certainly the British - Malaysian Society is one of them.
Then there are the trade and industry organisations in both
countries. Even the press can play a role, if it chooses to
do so.
18. I look forward to a future where Malaysia and Britain
would be close and mutually respecting friends.
God-Willing, we will both gain by it.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
19. Lastly, I would like to thank the British-Malaysian
Society for kindly holding this dinner and inviting me to
partake of the sumptuous meal as well as to speak on my
particular perception of British-Malaysia relations. I do
hope I have been able to contribute towards a better
appreciation of Malaysia's views. I pray that our relations
will be improved in the process.
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