Dr M to share stage with prominent Jewish critic of Israel

American Jewish intellectual Avram Noam Chomsky will give his views on Southeast Asian politics. (Reuters pic)

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who has come under criticism for his stand on Israel, is set to share a stage with prominent American Jewish intellectual Avram Noam Chomsky at a conference on Southeast Asian politics and issues.

The conference is part of the Pesta Demokrasi to be held from Feb 11 to 17 at Publika, Kuala Lumpur.

Speaking to FMT, Hishamuddin Rais, a board member of the Forces of Renewal for Southeast Asia (Forsea), which is organising the event, said Mahathir will be giving the keynote address.

“Chomksy, who is an institute professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will be commenting on Southeast Asian politics,” he said.

Other prominent speakers at the conference include former Indonesian attorney general Marzuki Darusman, who is now chair of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, and Pavin Chachavalpongpun, an academic from Kyoto University’s Center for Southeast Asian Studies.

“Issues in the region will be discussed, including the political situation in Thailand and the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar,” Hishamuddin said.

Yesterday, Mahathir said Malaysia was neither anti-Jew nor anti-Semitic after it barred Israeli athletes from the country, which led to the nation being stripped of its right to host an international swim meet.

“Malaysia is not anti-Jew or anti-Semitic. The Arabs are also Semitic people. But we reserve the right to condemn inhuman and oppressive behaviour anywhere, by anyone,” he said in a blog post.

Mahathir, who once declared that he was proud to be labelled anti-Semitic, said that Malaysia had condemned Myanmar in the past over their treatment of the Rohingya, and it has criticised “many countries and people for inhuman acts”. - FMT