The Internet and alternative media found an unlikely supporter today, none other than former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Addressing an audience of 2,000 at the Global Peace Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Mahathir said peace movements needed the cooperation of the press to publish condemnations of war.

"The press must dedicate itself to the truth. The press must be independent, not embedded in anyone's armed forces. The press must be an active partner in the worldwide struggle for peace.

"The Internet must be used extensively so that an alternative media would be available to publish and expose lies, be downloaded and distributed," he said in his hour-long keynote address.

Mahathir, who during his 22 years in office was consistently critcised for muzzling the media, had also described online news agency malaysiakini as a 'traitor' once.

The three-day peace forum titled Peace dividends, war profits at the Putra World Trade Centre was organised by the Perdana Leadership Foundation.

Mahathir is the chairperson of the forum, attended by participants from 25 countries.

Permanent secretariat

In his speech, the former premier also proposed the setting-up of a permanent secretariat, staffed with full-time and voluntary workers to promote peace .

The secretariat must be "where it will be most effective and convenient," he added.

He emphasised that the peace forum should not be an one-off event like the others, adding that pro-peace anti-war non-governmental organisations must be formed after the forum to establish contacts and links with other like-minded groups.

Mahathir urged for a concerted action worldwide to be put in place to promote peace, especially in the more belligerent countries.

Women and children should be among those most vocal against war and they must be mobilised and empowered, he said.

He also called upon scientists to emerge as the most important NGO against war by refusing to comply with instructions to do research that would lead to the invention of more lethal weapons.

Whereas lawyers, he said, should form an 'international NGO of lawyers for peace, lawyers against war' for the same cause as the movements need international laws to render war illegal.

Resuscitate UN

At the same time, he said the United Nations should be "democratised" in order for it to be resuscitated and be helped to perform its original role.

"The veto of the Permanent Five must be modified so that no single one of them can frustrate the whole organisation. Eventually the veto should be abolished and world democracy established.

"The UN must be given certain powers so that the globalised world will have a limited but meaningful global government which can act positively to prevent war and maintain peace," he added.

According to the former premier, his suggestions were doable.

"We must act to stop this madness, these killings, this idea that the ones able to kill the most are the victors, are the ones who should rule the world. What kind of a civilisation would we have with mass murderers as world leaders?" he asked.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, former Australia prime minister Bob Hawke were among the speakers at the three-day forum.