Author:
Publication: The Star
Date: June 6, 2004
URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/6/6/nation/8152599&sec=nation
The unrest in Southern Thailand
is a "very, very big concern" to Malaysia, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
He said Malaysia would play a role
in helping to quell the militant Islamic development across the border
by sending moderate preachers there.
"We have been asked to provide,
to give lectures on the role of Islamic development and the way we do it
here, so the people who are Muslims there would understand what the role
of Islam is.
"The idea is that they wouldn't
want to deal with militant Islam, but an Islam and Muslims who are committed
to progress, committed to development, who like peace and are moderate
in their ways.
"That's what we are doing here,"
he said in an interview in CNN's Talk Asia programme aired yesterday morning.
In the half-hour talk show hosted
by Lorraine Hann, Abdullah said Thailand was just across the border and
the unrest involved Muslims and Malays who had relatives in Malaysia.
"They travel frequently, crossing
the border to and fro everyday, it's an everyday affair. So, anything that
happens on that side, I fear there might be repercussions on our side.
"So, we have to act quickly but
we will make sure we are not going to interfere with what is happening
in Thailand," he said.
Asked how the Government would ensure
anti-America and anti-western sentiments would not spill over to Malaysian
Muslims, Abdullah replied: "We have followed the path of moderation; development
is our priority, (and so are) national unity, good community relations,
Muslims and non-Muslims - this is what has given us the advantage.
"We have been successful because
of this. So, this we have to maintain at all costs."
In the interview, Abdullah also
re-iterated his commitment to fight corruption without fear or favour.
"That's what I promised everybody
and that is the case. I will be happy, certainly, when the corruption index
improves, as much as we can," he said.
Abdullah added that plans were in
place to follow up on the anti-corruption campaign, including the setting-up
of the National Institute for Ethics and the launching of the National
Integrity Plan.
"We continue to remind the civil
servants. This is the subject that I always talk about. It is also the
subject my other colleagues in the Cabinet talk about," he said.
Asked if he was still under the
shadow of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Abdullah gave
a firm "no" before continuing: "He told me that he would not interfere
with whatever I do, (and that) he also would not comment (about) whatever
I do.
"He said this is my Government,
you do whatever you want, you are the Prime Minister," he said.
