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Malaysia Becomes Member of Commonwealth Committee on Terrorism
By Kazi Mahmood, IOL Correspondent in Malaysia
JAKARTA, Oct 24 (IslamOnline) - Malaysia was selected on Tuesday to become a member of a committee of 10 Commonwealth countries to discuss the issue of terrorism at an international forum next month.
Its Foreign Minister, Syed Hamid Albar, said the committee - which included Australia, Bahamas and Britain - would have its first meeting in London on November 19.
"I will be representing Malaysia to discuss the issue of terrorism and what would be the best way to overcome it," he told reporters in the parliament lobby yesterday.
Malaysia has adopted a strong neutral stance in the war against terrorism, led by the U.S. and joined by more than 50 countries worldwide.
It condemned the September 11 attacks against the U.S. but refuses to support the U.S. attacks against Afghanistan, calling for a stop of these attacks, which Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad says, are unjustified.
Malaysia also urged the United Nations (U.N.) to take the lead in the war against terror, calling for an international conference on terrorism.
Albar said the views of Prime Minister Mahathir on the need for an international conference on terrorism was well received by several countries during the APEC meeting in China.
He said countries like China and Russia also agreed with Malaysia that the United Nations should play the lead role in resolving the problem of terrorism.
"They agreed with us that a country or a group of specific countries should not on their own try to resolve the issue of terrorism without paying heed to the rest of the world," he said.
Mahathir's meeting with United States President George W. Bush during the APEC meet was heavily commented in the local press in Kuala Lumpur.
Syed Hamid said there was good interaction between the leaders and Bush said he wished to enhance bilateral ties.
He also said Bush listened to Mahathir's views on terrorism and what Islamic countries felt regarding the issue.
The local press was rejoicing that there was a definite and discernable warming up of bilateral relations between Malaysia and the United States in recent weeks.
They say the face-to-face meeting between Mohamad and Bush was an excellent exercise of relationship building.
The U.S. and Malaysia have strongly disagreed on several issues linked to the fate of former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim. Ibrahim was jailed for 15 years being convicted on charges of sodomy and corruption. Several human rights groups have claimed that the former prime minister's trial failed to meet standards of fairness.
The fallout of the Anwar Ibrahim case resulted in strained relations between the two nations. The Ibrahim camp enjoyed the formal support of several influential U.S. senators and congressional representatives during the reign of former president Bill Clinton.
Mahathir described the 40-minute meeting as good, with Bush promising to strengthen relations with Malaysia.
"Bush largely accepted the fact that we may differ on certain issues," he said, "but we see eye-to-eye on this important issue of terrorism."
The two leaders stressed the need to revive the world economy with Bush contending that without restoring world trade, countries will not be able to develop.
"I explained our support [against terrorism] … and the reason why we are unable to support the operations against Afghanistan," he said.
"Largely, he accepted the fact that we may differ on certain issues. Bush also explained the American viewpoint and feelings of the American people."
Bush, according to Mahathir, indicated that Malaysia has a role to play in the Islamic world.
However, Mahathir drew attention to the anger and frustration in the Muslim world, which Bush understood - saying that he appreciated Malaysia's views.
In this context, Mahathir explained to Bush the need to remove the root causes of terrorism, singling out the Palestinian problem as the main cause.
Bush told Mahathir that he has been urging them [Palestine and Israel] to settle the conflict and accept that there should be a Palestinian state and a Jewish state.
"Bush also explained that each time he tried to get them together," Mahathir said, "someone goes in and spites the whole thing by assassinating or killing someone, somebody or exploding a bomb or something like that."
Israel has in the recent months assassinated more than 70 Palestinian political officials and has continued invading autonomous Palestinian territory, despite strong rebukes from the United States earlier this week.
Bush said he took interest in Middle East issues and wants to try and resolve it on the basis of recognizing respective Palestinian and Jewish rights to statehood in the Holy land.
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