Latest news with #MahathirMohamad
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
A truly Asian economic bloc – can Asia succeed where it failed?
'It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good,' to quote a centuries-old proverb. It is one that could be applied now with justification to the ill winds sweeping across the Pacific from US President Donald Trump's America to Asia. These disruptive currents are creating geopolitical turbulence, economic disruption and financial instability. However, the opportunity they present for Asia to challenge the post-war economic order and reshape its own destiny has received less attention. Among the more glaring examples of the United States leaning heavily on Asian leaders to abandon domestic initiatives was its strong opposition to the East Asia Economic Caucus , which was proposed as early as 1990 by then Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. In 1991, former South Korean prime minister Nam Duck-woo proposed the establishment of a Northeast Asia Development Bank during a lecture in Tianjin. Like Sakakibara's proposed Asian monetary fund, such a development bank would have given East Asia considerably greater control over its own economic development and destiny than the region enjoyed at the time, but it was not in line with the US vision for the Asia-Pacific.
Malaysiakini
3 days ago
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Pro-govt NGOs form alliance against Dr M's 'big umbrella' drive
Backed by government parties, 10 NGOs have united to oppose former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's 'big umbrella' to restore Malay political dominance. The group banded under the Malaysian Community Welfare Movement (GKUM), with its chairperson Amidi Abdul Manan stating this was in response to the big umbrella, which he said stemmed from narrow racial politics.
Yomiuri Shimbun
4 days ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Mahathir Urges ASEAN to Create United Front Against U.S.; Warns High Tariffs Will Be ‘Very Damaging for America'
The Yomiuri Shimbun Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations should create a united front in negotiations with the United States, former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said in a recent interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun. The following is excerpted from the interview, which was conducted by Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent Tetsuya Mizuno. *** America is a big market. High tariffs affect the market; it hurts the market. Exporters to America face troubles. They can't sell as much as they used to. But America itself is going to face a lot of troubles. This is because America needs import; without it, the American industries cannot function, especially without micro-processors or microchips. [U.S. President Donald] Trump has put a pause on electronics because he knows that he needs the electronics to keep supplies in the American industries. He has already given in. Later, he has to give in more. Things will be expensive in America. Other countries will also suffer. Other countries should work together to continue this world trade. The trade should go on with an enhancement. They should take the place of America to supply certain things. It will take time. It is disruptive. I think very soon America will have to solve Trump's high tariff. The high tariff will create a shift away from America. This would be permanent. America will lose a lot of its trade because people will be able to get from other sources. Once they have been identified from other sources, they will not go back to America. It is inevitable the U.S. reduces its trade by high tariffs. People will have to look for other partners. China provides good partnership. China has great technological capabilities. It can produce whatever the U.S. produces. It will take a little time. It will be soon. Trump does not want to side with ASEAN. He wants to deal with individual countries, because the country will be weak. ASEAN coming together and putting a united front in negotiation with the U.S. is the best approach. The better future for ASEAN is when there is no dominant country, not China, U.S., nor anyone. It is not that ASEAN is leaning toward China. It is America who pushes ASEAN to China. If America does not impose high tariffs, we [ASEAN] want to be friendly with the U.S. and China, which both are big markets. But America rejects ASEAN, pushing us toward China. We need a market. China is the biggest market for Malaysia. If America pushes us, we have no choice but to go to China. The recovery after World War II was partly due to the Marshall Plan. The package supported the European countries' recovery. Following that, there are trends on globalization and the borderless world, which has contributed to world trade. What Trump is doing now is to reverse the Marshall Plan. We should go back to the world trade system. We should give more power to the WTO. Japan is a great investor. Malaysia had been able to industrialize because of the Japanese investment. Japan has a big role to play to help countries in Southeast Asia with industrialization and trade. Right now, Japan is in the trough. But I have great faith in Japan and Japanese people who are coming up with new ideas and products, especially in the field of medicine. I think Japan will catch up and recover. It may not be in the industrial products, but there are other sectors where Japan can excel. A democratic system has failed in a selection of leaders. A lot of bad leaders like people who do not believe in climate change, people who believe that the solution to the conflict is to go to war, these people are now in charge in many countries. That is why we have the problems. Japan should not be a neighbor of the U.S. only, but a neighbor to the rest of the world. It should be an enabler for the rest of the world. Japan should consider the best thing for Japan in the world, not as a partner of the U.S. Mahathir Mohamad Mahathir, 99, entered politics after working as a general practitioner. He served as Malaysian prime minister twice, from 1981 to 2003 and from 2018 to 2020. He promoted the modernization of his country, advocating the Look East Policy, an economic policy modeled after Japan and other countries.
Daily Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Express
Perikatan Nasional calls for review of Article 121
Published on: Tuesday, June 17, 2025 Published on: Tue, Jun 17, 2025 By: FMT Reporters Text Size: PN chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan said judicial independence is the foundation of a mature democracy. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA: Perikatan Nasional (PN) has recommended that Article 121 of the Federal Constitution be reviewed with the aim of restoring the judiciary's original powers as a co-equal branch of government. In a statement, PN chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan said judicial independence was the foundation of a mature democracy. Advertisement 'Malaysians have a right to a legal system that functions 'without fear or favour' – one that is firm, fair, and independent. 'The decisions made now will shape public trust in the judiciary for decades to come,' he said, adding that the judiciary should be protected from any form of interference. Before 1988, the constitution stated that judicial power was vested in the High Court of Malaya and the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak. However, an amendment made during the tenure of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the jurisdiction and power of the court 'may be conferred by or under federal law'. Takiyuddin, a lawyer by training, also called for the Judicial Appointments Commission to be given full autonomy to carry out its duties without political pressure, especially from the executive branch. He said that recommended candidates must be chosen based on merit, integrity, and seniority, not political affiliations or preferences. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Malaysiakini
6 days ago
- Business
- Malaysiakini
MCA Youth slams govt over Dr M's RM486k Japan trip
MCA Youth criticised the government's decision to approve RM486,000 expenditure for former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's two-day trip to Japan for the Nikkei Forum last month, questioning its financial priorities at a time of economic strain. 'Who is really tightening their belts? The people, or you, so-called reformist leaders?' MCA Youth central committee member Lee Kok Seng asked in a statement today. He pointed out that the average Malaysian worker...
