FRESH AIR

UPDATES

Same old Mahathir

Jun 28, 2016 | Gareth Narunsky

Same old Mahathir
news_item/mahathir.jpg

One could have been forgiven for thinking, during a 60 Minutes interview with former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in March, that the one-time strongman of Malaysian politics had mellowed out significantly.

Talking about corruption in Malaysia currently, Mahathir appeared kind, gentle and softly spoken, and even shared a laugh with reporter Ross Coulthart over famously being labelled recalcitrant by former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating in the early 1990s.

Once considered an uncompromising, ruthless political operator, Mahathir came across more like a teddy bear.

We now know after an interview with Al Jazeera’s Medhi Hasan on June 24, that at least when it comes to his antisemitism – far from being a teddy bear – Mahathir is as hateful as he ever was.

Defending a 2003 statement in which he said “the Jews rule the world by proxy”, the former Malaysian PM didn’t back down.

Mahathir: I believe I am speaking the truth. You look at America, it is totally dedicated to supporting Israel.
Medhi: But why are you conflating Israel with all Jews? All Jews are not responsible for Israel.
Mahathir: Why not?
Medhi: Should all Muslims be conflated with ISIL then? If everyone is collectively held responsible for the actions of people in their faith?
Mahathir: No it shouldn’t. Because we are not working in that direction. What I said was that the Jews are ruling the world by proxy.
Medhi: That’s an outrageous claim with no evidence… That is an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory … What is your evidence for the fact that Jews are quote, “ruling the world”?
Mahathir: There are not very many Jews in this world. By themselves they cannot rule this world, but they can influence countries to do the work for them, and America is very much under Jewish influence. That is why it supports Israel, whether Israel is doing the right thing or not, whether it commits crimes or not.

This shouldn’t be surprising for a man who in 1970 wrote “the Jews for example are not merely hook-nosed, but understand money instinctively”, blamed the collapse of Malaysia’s currency during the 1997 Asian financial crisis on a Jewish conspiracy and in 2012 stated “I am glad to be labelled anti-Semitic“.

It appears age hasn’t softened Mahathir, after all.

Gareth Narunsky

 

RELATED ARTICLES


French UNIFIL troops on patrol in southern Lebanon in April 2015 (image: Sebastian Castelier/ Shutterstock)

UNIFIL, the LAF and myths about Lebanese sovereignty

Nov 13, 2024 | Featured, Fresh AIR
GbVvR9GWgAAfPGb (1)

“Backbone”? UNRWA delivers just 13% of the aid in Gaza

Nov 8, 2024 | Featured, Fresh AIR
The sentiment is clear on the streets of Kuala Lumpur (Image: Shutterstock)

Malaysia’s recalcitrant antisemitism

Nov 8, 2024 | Featured, Fresh AIR
Screenshot 2024 02 08 At 9.45.23 pm

Gaza polio clinic blast coverage a classic case of ABC bias

Nov 7, 2024 | Featured, Fresh AIR
Image: Shutterstock

The secret history of  UNIFIL’s relationship with Hezbollah

Nov 6, 2024 | Featured, Fresh AIR
Israeli Settlements Near Bethlehem

Report: Approvals for West Bank settlement expansion ‘stuck’

Nov 4, 2024 | Featured, Fresh AIR
D11a774c 2a47 C987 F4ce 2d642e6d9c8d

Bibi in DC, the Houthi threat and the politicised ICJ opinion

Jul 26, 2024 | Update
Image: Shutterstock

Nine months after Oct. 7: Where Israel stands now

Jul 10, 2024 | Update
Palestinian Red Crescent workers from Al-Najjar Hospital in the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip (Image: Shutterstock)

Hamas’ impossible casualty figures

Mar 28, 2024 | Update
455daec3 C2a8 8752 C215 B7bd062c6bbc

After the Israel-Hamas ceasefire for hostages deal

Nov 29, 2023 | Update
Screenshot of Hamas bodycam footage as terrorists approach an Israeli vehicle during the terror organisation's October 7, 2023 attack in southern Israel, released by the IDF and GPO (Screenshot)

Horror on Video / International Law and the Hamas War

Oct 31, 2023 | Update
Sderot, Israel. 7th Oct, 2023. Bodies of dead Israelis lie on the ground following the attacks of Hamas (Image: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa/Alamy Live News)

Israel’s Sept. 11, only worse

Oct 11, 2023 | Update

RECENT POSTS

Screenshot 2024 11 23 At 1.21.04 PM

ICC arrest warrant decision “purely political”: Jamie Hyams on Sky News

International Criminal Court 2018

AIJAC slams ICC decision to issue warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant

Screenshot 2024 11 20 At 4.49.05 PM

Australia out of step with US and other allies on UN vote: Joel Burnie on Sky News

UNRWA is portrayed as the “backbone” of Gaza aid efforts, but actually supplied only 13% of aid there over recent months (Image: Anas Mohammed/ Shutterstock)

An empire of perpetual suffering

Foreign Minister Penny Wong and PM Anthony Albanese have degraded our relationship with our most important Middle Eastern partner (Screenshot)

The consequences of Australia’s Mideast policy shifts since October 7

Screenshot 2024 11 23 At 1.21.04 PM

ICC arrest warrant decision “purely political”: Jamie Hyams on Sky News

International Criminal Court 2018

AIJAC slams ICC decision to issue warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant

Screenshot 2024 11 20 At 4.49.05 PM

Australia out of step with US and other allies on UN vote: Joel Burnie on Sky News

UNRWA is portrayed as the “backbone” of Gaza aid efforts, but actually supplied only 13% of aid there over recent months (Image: Anas Mohammed/ Shutterstock)

An empire of perpetual suffering

Foreign Minister Penny Wong and PM Anthony Albanese have degraded our relationship with our most important Middle Eastern partner (Screenshot)

The consequences of Australia’s Mideast policy shifts since October 7

SORT BY TOPICS