Oleh/By		:   	DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD 
Tempat/Venue 	: 	THE BANQUET HALL, PARLIAMENT HOUSE 
Tarikh/Date 	: 	10/01/83 
Tajuk/Title  	: 	AT THE OFFICIAL DINNER IN HONOUR OF 
			THE RT. HON. PIERRE ELLIOTT TRUDEAU 
			PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA 




The Rt. Honourable Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Prime Minister of
Canada; Distinguished Members of the Canadian Delegation; Honourable
Ministers; Excellencies; Ladies and Gentlemen; It is indeed with great
pleasure that I welcome you, Mr. Prime Minister, and your distinguished
delegation to Malaysia. In fact, I should say welcome back, Mr. Prime
Minister, as you are no stranger to this country, this being your second
official visit. During your first visit in May, 1970, you met Malaysia's
first Prime Minister YTM Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj. In October,
1971, you played host to Malaysia's second Prime Minister, the late YAB
Tun Abdul Razak, during his official visit to Canada. You have probably
also met my immediate predecessor, YAB Tun Hussein Onn, during one of the
Commonwealth Summits. You therefore are not only familiar with this
country, but with all its Prime Ministers as well. We honour your presence
here tonight as a further expression of our high regard for Canada and of
the close and friendly ties that have for many years now linked our two
countries.

2. I was given to understand that while discussing the programme of your
visit to Malaysia, you had sounded out the possibility of finding some
time to visit the Campbell eating stalls, which you recalled from your
previous visit. I am afraid that the Campbell stalls of the 70's are no
longer there, having given way to the process of change. However, let me
quickly assure you that while those stalls no longer operate along
Campbell Road, renamed Jalan Dang Wangi, such stalls are still plentiful
and easily found in Kuala Lumpur.

3. The transition of the Campbell stalls can be said to exemplify the
process of change and development. Change and development are integral to
any society and nation. The problem that confronts societies and nations,
however, is that not all developments are for the better. Nothing
illustrates this point more than the recent changes that have taken place
in Malaysia's external environment, both in the political and economic
spheres.

4. I am gratified, Mr. Prime Minister, that amidst these developments, our
bilateral relations have continued to remain sound, steady and
meaningful. We recall with pleasure that Canada was one of the first to
establish a resident diplomatic representation in Malaysia following
independence in 1957. We are appreciative of your economic and technical
assistance and hold in esteem your willingness in providing educational
opportunities for Malaysian students. Neither have we forgotten the
important and helpful role Canada played in the resettlement of Vietnamese
illegal immigrants.

5. Given this secure foundation, we can therefore be confident about the
future development of our bilateral relations. This applies particularly
to economic, trade and educational fields. Malaysia, within this context,
welcomes Canadian participation in our current national development
endeavours, as outlined in the Fourth Malaysia Plan. The Fourth Malaysia
Plan, in essence, seeks to improve further the standard of living of all
Malaysians. It is my sincere hope that Canada will contribute to the
success of the Fourth Malaysia Plan through greater investment and joint
ventures, especially in the sectors where Canada has the capital,
expertise and experience.

6. Our political relations, I must say, have always been characterised by
a high degree of concurrence on all important aspects of global and
regional affairs. We have always agreed that close political cooperation
is needed in order to be able to overcome the increasingly difficult
economic problems of the present and the future. Your current visit bears
testimony to this continuing process of consultation and cooperation.

Mr. Prime Minister, 7. Canada's interest in this region, particularly in
the five ASEAN countries, is not new. This longstanding interest has over
recent years taken tangible forms, particularly with the setting up of the
ASEAN-Canada Forest Tree Seed Centre as well as the Fisheries Post Harvest
Technology Centre. I am convinced that, given the necessary political
will, Canada-ASEAN relations can become the model of cooperation between a
developed country and a group of developing countries, based on
partnership on equal terms and common interest.

8. The international scene, encompassing both political and economic
dimensions, appears dismal, a view which I had expressed during my recent
address at the United Nations General Assembly. International law and
order has truly broken down, giving rise to a situation where might and
right is almost synonymous. The international community watches helplessly
while weak countries like Kampuchea, Afghanistan and Lebanon are invaded
with impunity and without mercy by those bent on expansionism. The United
Nations, where the small and weak countries turn to, especially when
confronted with external military aggression, is being deliberately
deprived of its powers to prevent and control such aggression. The need to
restore faith in the United Nations is very pressing. The United Nations
must regain its credibility. I would like to say that countries like
Malaysia must help restore the trust and confidence of the international
community in this Organisation's role in resolving problems and crises and
in maintaining world peace and stability. But this would be mere
rhetoric. What is needed is the full backing of the powerful nations. They
must revitalise the Organisation which they had created. If the Charter of
the United Nations is to have any meaning than the founding nations must
be prepared to back the United Nations even though they have lost their
ability to manipulate it.

9. On the economic front, the developing nations are reeling from the
effects of recession which are the consequences of man-made policies in
the powerful commercial and financial centres of the world. The plight of
the poor developing countries has only drawn pontifical remarks from the
developed countries. Free trade, the hallmark of nations espousing
innovation, industry and individuality, is being wrecked by the rising
tide of protectionism, as exemplified at the recent GATT meeting, which
your colleague and Deputy, Mr. Allan MacEachan, chaired in Geneva
recently. At the same time, high interest rates and other unhealthy
manipulations of the free enterprise economic system go on unabated by
those who claim themselves to be the custodians of this very system.

10. Lately Western economists have been talking gleefully of putting the
last nail into the OPEC coffin. The assumption is that with the collapse
of OPEC the economy of the world will improve. This may be so but we are
quite sure that the prices of all manufactured products that developing
countries have to buy will continue to rise even when fuel prices go
down. The excuse will then be that fuel does not figure much in the cost
of production. Yet when fuel prices go up, prices of all manufactured
goods are inflated.

11. As a producer of several primary commodities Malaysia is familiar with
this phenomena. The fact that rubber and tin sells at rock-bottom prices
now has not helped to reduce prices of products made from these
material. For Malaysia and other developing countries it is a case of
"heads I lose, tails you win" all the time. It is about time that western
economists acknowledge that the present recession is caused primarily by
non-productive wage increases in their countries. This has priced their
goods out of the market. Faced with foreign competition in their own and
foreign markets they have reacted by raising tariff barriers, thus
effectively stifling world trade. Until this is recognised, there will be
no real recovery. Killing OPEC is likely to result in more Mexicos, rather
than economic recovery.

Mr. Prime Minister, 

12. In our discussion on current political developments in Southeast Asia,
we dealt at length on the problems resulting from foreign military
intervention in Kampuchea. We are agreed that these unhealthy developments
pose a grave and direct threat to the peace and stability of this
region. The Kampuchea issue, if not resolved peacefully and promptly, will
also become a threat to world peace and security as continued foreign
occupation of Kampuchea has brought in its wake big power rivalry and
involvement. This is a very sad development in a region which has
witnessed some of the worst human sufferings and deprivations in recent
times. So long as foreign forces remain in Kampuchea preventing the free
expression of self-determination by the Kampuchean people and violating
the territorial integrity and sovereignty of that nation, Malaysia and its
partners in ASEAN will remain steadfast in opposing the situation. A
peaceful resolution of the issue must be obtained in accordance with the
Declaration of the International Conference on Kampuchea, and all other
relevant UN resolutions, which have been endorsed and supported by the
international community. Malaysia welcomes the setting up of the Coalition
Government of Democratic Kampuchea under the Presidency of His Highness
Prince Sihanouk as a positive step towards the peaceful resolution of the
Kampuchea issue. Malaysia is grateful to Canada for its support over the
Kampuchea question.

13. Malaysia and Canada are motivated by the same desire for peace and
stability in the world so that all energies can be channelled towards
alleviating poverty, hunger and other deprivations and towards
establishing a just and equitable new international economic order. Within
this context, we look forward to a world characterised by sincere and
constructive partnership and cooperation between the developed and more
fortunate countries and the developing and less fortunate ones for their
mutual benefit.

Mr. Prime Minister, 

14. It is our pleasure to have you here again, and I hope your stay here
will be both enjoyable and memorable.

15. Honourable Ministers, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, may I now
request you to rise and join me in a toast to the good health of His
Excellency the Prime Minister of Canada and to the continuing close and
friendly relations between our two countries.

TOAST TO THE QUEEN OF CANADA Honourable Ministers, Excellencies, Ladies
and Gentlemen, may I now invite you to rise and join me in a toast to her
Majesty the Queen of Canada.

To the Queen of Canada.