Oleh/By		:	DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD 
Tempat/Venue 	: 	NEW DELHI, INDIA  
Tarikh/Date 	: 	20/12/96 
Tajuk/Title  	: 	THE OCCASION OF THE CONFERMENT OF 
			THE JAWAHARLAL NEHRU AWARD FOR 
			INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING FOR 1994 


    
    1.   It is a great honour and privilege for me to be
    here today to accept this prestigious Award that the
    Government  and people of India have conferred  upon
    me.  This is a proud moment that I will long cherish
    and  treasure.   As  I looked at  the  distinguished
    names  of those who have been honoured before me,  I
    am  apprehensive at the thought of living up to  the
    high expectations that this Award represents.  It is
    even  more daunting when this Award is given in  the
    name  of  a great leader, philosopher and statesman,
    such  as Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.  In accepting  the
    Award,  I  will endeavour to pursue and promote  the
    ideals associated with this outstanding Statesman.
    
    2.    Jawaharlal Nehru, an illustrious son of India,
    was  no  stranger  to my part  of  the  world.   His
    philosophy  and  ideals  inspired  and  moulded  the
    thinking of many leaders of the time.  His vision of
    freedom  and the well-being of nations inculcated  a
     sense  of pride and dignity among mankind that paved
    the  way for the birth of nationalism in Asia.   His
    determination to carry India into the modern age  of
    scientific  discovery and technological  development
    is  still being emulated by many of us in Asia.  His
    courage  to  inculcate and impart modern values  and
    culture, five decades ago, in an environment steeped
    in  traditions  and  conservatism,  is  still  being
    fought for by many of us.
    
    3.    Most of all, Nehru lived and fought for an end
    to  colonialism,  for freedom and  for  equality  of
    mankind,  for mutual respect and the sovereignty  of
    nations,  non-interference in the  internal  affairs
    and  for  peaceful co-existence among nations.   His
    ideals  and philosophy inspired millions beyond  the
    shores of India to struggle to free themselves  from
    the clutches of colonialism and imperialism.
    
    4.    Five decades have now passed.  We are now free
    from the stranglehold of the old colonialism and  we
     are  free to shape our own destiny.  However, as  we
    intensify  our  efforts to develop our  economy  and
    bring  prosperity to our people, we are continuously
    hampered  by new obstacles that restrict  our  march
    towards  progress and economic advancement.   Today,
    we,  in  what Nehru termed as the Third  World,  are
    still faced with deliberate obstacles thrown in  the
    way  of  our  progress  and our advancement  towards
    higher   socio-economic  status.   New  issues   are
    constantly being introduced to keep us as  dependent
    as  we  were  when we were colonies.  Thus  the  few
    competitive  advantages  that  we  have  are   being
    assailed   while  the  major  advantages  that   the
    developed  countries have, such  as  patent  rights,
    know-how,  capital, huge domestic markets,  etc  may
    not be touched at all.  And we are now told that the
    little  protection that we accord our own industries
    must  be  removed in the name of free and borderless
     trade.
    
    5.    Environment conditionalities are being used as
    a   weapon  to  deprive  developing  countries  from
    exploiting  their  natural  resources.   Yet  in  my
    country at least huge tracts of forests were cleared
    during  the  colonial days in order to plant  rubber
    and  mine for tin.  We have since independence  been
    much  more  careful in extracting  timber  from  our
    forests.   Today, fully 50 percent  of  Malaysia  is
    still  forested while another 20 percent is  covered
    with tree plantations. Yet our people are being told
    to remain primitive, hunting with blowpipes, because
    that  is  our way of life and we must stay with  it.
    When Sukarno, a contemporary of Pandit Nehru, coined
    the  word  Neo-colonialism, we thought he was  being
    rhetorical.   Now we know he knew better.   What  we
    are  experiencing  now  is  indeed  a  new  form  of
    colonialism, more insidious than open colonialism.
    
    6.    We  have  not seen the end.  As the developing
     countries  continue to progress and  increase  their
    share  in  world trade, there will be more  hurdles,
    rules  and  conditions to frustrate and  prevent  us
    from  achieving our goals.  We can no longer  depend
    on  the generosity and goodwill of the more advanced
    members of the international community to solve  our
    problems  and assist us in our economic development.
    The  developing countries themselves need  to  unite
    and  speak with one voice to secure our place in the
    global market.
    
    7.   We shall continue our relations with the North,
    but  we  should ensure that we are not dominated  by
    them or be too dependent on them.  For this there is
    a  need  for  the  countries of the  South  to  work
    together.   If  it is worthwhile for  the  North  to
    trade  and invest in the South, then the South  must
    have something worthwhile to offer.  It is time that
    we  in  the  South look at each other  and  identify
    areas  for cooperation and trade.  Once, there  were
     many  things  which only the North were capable  of.
    But  now we in the South have acquired much of  this
    capacity.   And these include trade and investments.
    It  is  time that we look towards the South  in  our
    quest  for new trade and investments.  Surely  there
    must be room in the South for both the North and the
    South.
    
    8.    The Group of 15 countries of the South has now
    been   established.   In  the  short  time  of   its
    existence   there  has  been  a  greater   flow   of
    information   between   them   and   between   other
    developing  countries.  This  is  important  because
    lack of information about each other's resources and
    capabilities was what prevented us from  interacting
    economically  with each other.  Now  we  are  seeing
    more  trade and investment between the countries  of
    the  South  than ever before.  They are still  small
    but  a  beginning has been made.  There  can  be  no
    doubt  that  with better knowledge  of  each  other,
     better  communication, shipping and  flights,  trade
    and  investment between the countries of  the  South
    will  increase.   We should not be deterred  by  the
    slow  progress.  There can be no doubt  that  if  we
    persevere   trade   and  investments   between   the
    countries  of the South will become a  part  of  our
    economic scene.  Then we would become less dependent
    on  the  North.   We would add more meaning  to  our
    freedom and independence.
    
    9.    Pandit  Nehru,  the teacher,  taught  us  that
    cooperation  among mankind and nations is  essential
    to  peace and harmony and that a world of haves  and
    have-nots will never be at peace with itself.  It is
    imperative   that  developing  countries   intensify
    cooperation  among ourselves.  We should concentrate
    and  build on our similarities and complementarities
    rather than highlight our differences and divisions.
    We   should  be  more  forthcoming  in  sharing  our
    expertise  and  technological know-how  rather  than
     harp   on   our  inadequacies.   We  should  provide
    opportunities and facilities for the development and
    promotion of trade and investment so as to create  a
    real  bridge to effective and productive cooperation
    among  us.   Most of all, we must stand together  to
    articulate our concerns and exercise our rights to a
    fair and just trading environment.  For only when we
    achieve   economic  strength   can   we   be   truly
    independent.
    
    10.   Pandit  Nehru could not have  done  more.   He
    instilled  pride  and dignity to  our  struggle  for
    freedom and taught us that cooperation is the key to
    peace  and  prosperity.  He inspired the  developing
    countries  to unite into a cohesive third  force  to
    protect   and   project  their  interests   in   the
    international arena and he devoted his life  to  the
    cause of world peace and understanding.  Indeed,  it
    is  through his tireless efforts that the  voice  of
    the developing countries like Malaysia and India are
     today   heard   and   given  due  cognizance.    The
    institution  of  the Non-Aligned Movement  of  which
    India  was  a  founding member, is  instrumental  in
    voicing  and  advancing the interests of  developing
    countries.   This  is  but  one  lasting  legacy  of
    Nehru's many achievements.
    
    11.  `The Teacher' has laid a firm foundation for us
    to  build  on.  Let us honour his memory by  working
    together for a better future for our peoples and for
    all mankind.