Archive - 19 October 2002

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad held talks in Riyadh Saturday with Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz about the Middle East crisis and regional developments, the official SPA news agency reported.

An attempt to inform the public on the unlawful detention under the ISA of several reformasi activists turns into a confrontational affair with the police and ends with two AIM activists being arrested in Kuala Lumpur today.. But the manner and grounds for the arrests are doubtful.

The Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER) apologises for incorrectly identifying Malaysia as a country where bombings linked to Jemaah Islamiah (JI) have taken place on its website. The magazine's print version, which has yet to be released in Malaysia, will also carry the correction and apology.

Sarawak State Secretary Abdul Aziz Husain warns that there is a security threat to the state now — it comes from illegal immigrants who sneaked back in across the Sarawak-Kalimantan border.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today that he does not fancy himself playing the role of a mediator in the Kashmir conflict "because Malaysia is a small country and we don't think we have that much influence to change the minds of people".

Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi says the 13-year-old girl, who alleged that she was raped while in a detention centre in Sabah, must be brought back to Malaysia from the Philippines so that she could help police in their investigations.

Celcom said Deutsche Telekom AG cannot veto its proposed merger with the cellular arm of Telekom Malaysia to create the biggest mobile phone company in the country.

Recent regional developments have sparked off anger among ruling and opposition politicians in Malaysia. While denials and official protests are registered, it would do good for the government to come clean over the terrorist situation in the country, says DAP secretary general Kerk Kim Hock (photo).

Corruption has been such a destructive force in every part of the world. Where there is more corruption, there is less prosperity. With that in mind, 200 MPs have agreed to form a Canadian-based organisation to fight government corruption.

As the US contemplates on going to war again, an American marine urges his nation to learn from the past. He says that bloodshed is not something to approach lightly, freedom is not gained easily and the American way will never be cheap.