Oleh/By : DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : PARLIAMENT HOUSE, KUALA LUMPUR
Tarikh/Date : 01/09/87
Tajuk/Title : THE OPENING OF THE 33RD COMMONWEALTH
PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE
Mr. President;
Excellencies;
Honourable Members of Parliaments
of the Commonwealth;
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am happy and honoured to be with you today on the
occasion of the 33rd Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference.
Malaysia considers it a great privilege to host this
Conference for the third time. We first hosted the
Conference in November 1963 and again in September 1971. On
behalf of the Government and people of Malaysia, I would
like to extend a warm welcome to our distinguished guests,
the Honourable Parliamentarians from the Commonwealth
countries.
2. Yesterday Malaysia celebrated the thirtieth anniversary
of its Independence. I understand that all of you joined in
the celebrations yesterday. I do hope that what
you have seen yesterday and also during your tours of the
country would enable you to have an impression of
multi-racial, multi-religious Malaysia which you are not
likely to get especially from reading about it.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
3. You have before you matters of importance to
deliberate. These matters relate directly to the welfare
of the countries and people you represent, their
relationship with each other and the roles that they and
their Governments play. This is in the best tradition of the
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association or the CPA and
it is very commendable indeed. I wish you well for I am sure
that only good can come from your meeting and exchange of
views. The knowledge and experience gained cannot but help
you to understand your own problems better and may even
contribute towards their solution.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
4. I am on record as being critical of the Commonwealth.
I still am. But the CPA is somewhat different. The
Commonwealth I criticize because far too often it did not
live up to its name. There is nothing common about the
wealth of the Commonwealth. Often there is not even
a great wealth of understanding between us. Thus the rich
among us frequently refuse even to understand the problems
faced by the poor -- even when the problem is of their
making. As the poor struggle to deal with these problems
they are belaboured with carping criticisms for being not
democratic enough, and so on.
5. But I am not completely right, of course. My officers
often remind me of the help we and other poor countries
receive. There is the Commonwealth Fund for Technical
Cooperation, the Commonwealth Foundation, the Commonwealth
Science Council, the Commonwealth Youth Programme, etc. It
would be churlish of me not to admit that all these help.
That is why we are still in the Commonwealth despite our
other disappointments.
6. The CPA is, as I said just now, quite a different body.
It is without doubt of the Commonwealth but it serves the
very useful purpose of spreading the role and practice of
parliament in a parliamentary democracy. This is not to say
that we cannot learn from other sources but the constant
exchange of ideas and visits and intermingling of
parliamentarians during the various conferences of the CPA
cannot but heighten the perceptions of the parliamentarians
of what parliament is all about.
7. It is important to remember that most of the members of
the Commonwealth gained independence only a scant three
decades ago. During the period when they were colonies
parliamentary democracy was quite unknown. They were
governed by bureaucrats with near absolute authority. There
may have been Legislative Councils but the members were
appointed and consequently were beholden only to the
authorities. There as therefore none of the traditions, and
the practices associated with Westminster.
8. Yet when these countries gained independence they were
expected to suddenly practise parliamentary democracy. No
allowance was made for the fact that they had little or no
experience or training. From Legislative Councils where no
opposition existed they were expected to take on the thrust
and parry of open debate between the Government and the
Opposition. It is a miracle that these countries manage to
retain parliaments and to survive.
9. Perhaps it is the fact that they were able to borrow
the traditions and practices of the older Commonwealth
countries that saved them from anarchy. If it is, then we
have to thank the CPA for enabling the borrowing to be
effected. We all know, of course, that the CPA is
instrumental in exposing and educating many a
parliamentarian from Commonwealth countries in the
intricacies of parliamentary practice and its traditions.
10. But the CPA, of course, does more than that. It holds
conferences in countries of the Commonwealth. It also holds
council or executive committee meetings in the smaller
countries which are unable to host the big conferences.
11. A lot of people travel these days. But many countries
are missed out because they are out of the way or are too
small. The people of the Caribbean find little reason to
visit South East Asia or the South Pacific and vice versa.
But with membership of the Commonwealth Parliamentary
Association these places are visited and friendship and
understanding is the result.
12. Malaysia is one of those countries which appreciates
the friendship and understanding of parliamentarians
everywhere. We are a multi-racial country. It is not of our
own making. It was thrust upon us during the period when
we were under colonial rule. Since Independence we have been
trying to foster racial harmony. It is not easy. As an
example the Malays are Muslims and eat beef but abhor pork.
The Chinese are Taoists or Buddhists and eat pork. The
Indians are Hindus and do not take both pork and beef.
Theoretically, we cannot even sit down together to eat. But
we do and we do it often. This clearly demonstrates that
Malaysians respect each others religions, customs and
beliefs, are able to give and take and are also tolerant
of one another. We, therefore, get on reasonably well.
13. One would think that the people who inflict this on us
would appreciate this, appreciate the tolerance of the three
major races in Malaysia. One would think that we would be
helped. But no such appreciation is forthcoming. Instead,
we read reports that some races are badly treated in
Malaysia, that very soon there will be racial violence, etc.
The fact that that very soon, soon passes by with nothing
happening does not deter them. Soon they will report again
that very soon there will be racial riots in Malaysia.
14. Your meeting here therefore is very welcome because you
can see for yourself the truth and you will hear also the
views -- both Government and Opposition. You will be able
to judge for yourself. I am sure other countries in the
Commonwealth who are the subject of such calumny would
welcome the opportunity to put themselves on display, so to
speak, for all and sundry to examine.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
15. The CPA is, of course, not so inward looking that each
country is interested only in its own image. We are also
very interested in the fate of humanity in every corner of
the globe. In particular we are interested in he struggle
of the blacks in South Africa against the crime of apartheid
and minority rule. Malaysia has been unequivocal in its
abhorrence and condemnation of the racist white regime in
South Africa. It was Malaysia which initiated the expulsion
of South Africa from the Commonwealth. And as early as
1965 Malaysia applied sanctions against South Africa.
16. We in Malaysia feel strongly that South Africa should
be completely ostracised. The excuses that sanctions would
hurt the blacks more than the whites have been disproved
by the realities that we see today. The blacks are being
oppressed, ill-treated and murdered even without sanctions.
We are only prolonging their sufferings by our
half-measures. The only answer is total sanctions and
isolation. The CPA must urge the doubting Margarets from
among the Heads of Government attending the CHOGM in
Vancouver to resolve to apply sanctions now. Then and then
only will the Commonwealth be meaningful. The few should
not allow the many to suffer so much for filthy lucre.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
17. The CPA is a multi-national organisation. As such its
discussions are multi-lateral. The greatest multi-national
organisation of all is the United Nations. It was founded
on the premise that all nations are equal and therefore have
equal rights to discuss world affairs. However, of late,
we see a tendency to ignore the United Nations
multilateralism in favour of bilateralism or limited small
groups.
18. If the discussions of these small groups do not affect
other countries they are welcome to it. But in many
instances the resolutions adopted at these meetings affect
adversely a lot of other countries.
19. A case in point is the Group of Seven rich countries.
It is as a result of this Group's meeting that suddenly
many poor countries have been made poorer. The exchange
rates of different currencies have been manipulated so that
suddenly poor countries find their external debts have
been doubled and their export earnings reduced.
20. Poor countries find it difficult enough to handle banks
which speculate in their currencies. But against the
currency manipulation of rich countries they don't stand
a chance. And when rich countries get together to rearrange
the financial and economic affairs of the world to their
advantage, poor countries cannot but be the losers.
21. We must return to multi-lateralism. Admittedly the
United Nations is cumbersome and some members can be
unreasonable. But it is still the only truly representative
body of the countries of the world. It can be improved but
it must not be by-passed. The CPA, itself a multi-national
body, must support multi-lateralism as exemplified by the
United Nations.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
22. I am sure that as your plane approached Malaysia you
would have been warned of the extreme penalty for
trafficking in drugs in Malaysia. Our law is harsh but we
make no apology. Our youths are being destroyed by this
scourge. We consider those who distribute drugs as their
destroyers, their murderers. And it is as murderers that
they will be treated. We thank all members of the
Commonwealth for supporting Malaysia's candidature at the
Vienna Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
23. Malaysia welcomes you. We hope that your stay here
will be both interesting and pleasant. Like most capital
cities, Kuala Lumpur, or KL as we call it, is cosmopolitan
and not quite typical of the rest of the country.
Nevertheless, it has its own character. If you have the time
and the inclination do visit other parts of the country
especially Sarawak and Sabah, where you will see what is
more typical of Malaysia.
24. My wife and I feel privileged to be with you this
morning. We look forward to meeting you again tommorrow
evening. Your charming ladies will come to Sri Perdana
tomorrow afternoon for tea with my wife and I hope they
will have sufficient opportunity of exchanging views.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
25. I wish the Conference all success and wish you well in
your deliberations which I hope will contribute to greater
friendship and understanding among Parliamentarians of the
Commonwealth countries.
26. I now have much pleasure in declaring open the 33rd
Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference.
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