Be strong to resist foreign interference, Dr M tells Muslim nations

Dr Mahathir Mohamad says resorting to violence, such as starting a war, will never resolve problems as such a move will only result in death and destruction.

KUALA LUMPUR: Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said Muslim countries should be strong and independent so that they can resist foreign interference in their affairs.

The prime minister said some foreign countries intend to see Muslim countries fight each other so that they would never be strong.

“There will always be interference from other countries. All the big powers want to influence whatever that is happening in our countries.

“But it’s for us to resist. And for us to resist, we have to be strong and independent,” he said during a question-and-answer session at a round-table discussion themed “The Priority of Development and The Challenges” at the Kuala Lumpur Summit (KL Summit) 2019 here.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also participated in the discussion.

Mahathir, who is also the KL Summit chairman, said dependency on powerful countries for funds, for example, also render dependent countries vulnerable to external influence.

“What we’re seeing today is too much dependence on these powerful countries for funds, for equipment, for our lives, in fact. In order to be independent, we should resist the influence of foreign countries which intend to see us fight each other so that we can never be strong,” he said.

On another note, Mahathir called on Islamic nations to resolve problems or conflicts through negotiation and arbitration or even the court of law.

He said resorting to violence, such as starting a war, would never resolve problems as such a move would only result in death and destruction.

“It’s far better to have discussions. If you consider all of us Muslims as brothers, the better way to settle (any dispute) is to negotiate in a calm manner and not allow our emotions, our feelings to influence us to the point that we can’t see reason at all.

“We should refuse to fight and go to war but instead negotiate and arbitrate,” Mahathir said.

To another question, Mahathir said the KL Summit would contribute towards closer bilateral cooperation among participating countries, including in the fields of education, science and business.

Meanwhile, Reuters quotes Mahathir as saying the Kuala Lumpur Summit, which ends on Saturday, was aimed at understanding why Islam, Muslims and their countries were “in a state of crisis, helpless and unworthy of this great religion”.

“While we may not have been able to fully dissect all that had caused our pain and anguish, we are mostly in agreement that it is our inability to keep up with the progress and development of the non-Muslims that has left us in the lurch,” he said.

“Due to that, Muslims the world over suffer and as many are dependent on the mercy and charity of the non-Muslims. To my mind, we have no choice but to develop and progress as fast as possible.” - FMT