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Malaysian leader Mahathir is "happy Al Gore lost"

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December 15, 2000 

KUALA LUMPUR (UNB/AP) - Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who has held Al Gore in low esteem ever since the U.S. vice president gave a speech supporting the Malaysian opposition, pulled no punches Thursday in welcoming George W. Bush's election to the presidency.

"I am happy Al Gore lost," Mahathir was quoted as saying by the national news agency Bernama. "Bush's victory will restore good ties between the two countries."

Bush's victory over Al Gore, after a long legal battle, was especially significant for this Southeast Asian nation of 22 million people. The government had vocally rooted for Gore's defeat, while opposition activists hoped that neither winner would abandon Malaysia's pro-democracy movement

On Thursday, Mahathir and other Malaysian minister lined up to savor Gore's defeat and express hope that the Bush administration would not interfere in Malaysia's internal affairs.

"In the past, we have seen some aberration in our political relationship because of what we see as the American government interference into our political affairs," Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz told reporters.

"We do not want the Americans to interfere in our internal affairs, especially in anything political," she said.

Gore infuriated Malaysian leaders in 1998 when he praised Mahathir's critics as "brave." At the time, they were staging the biggest street demonstrations in years following the dismissal and jailing of popular deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim.

After that speech, Gore walked out of a dinner hosted in his honor on the sidelines of a summit of Pacific Rim nations in which he was standing in for President Bill Clinton.

Malaysia has been unhappy over U.S. criticism of the country's human rights record and comments about the way Anwar was tried. He is serving prison sentences totaling 15 years for corruption and sodomy, but claims he was the victim of a political conspiracy to end his potential challenge to Mahathir.

Mahathir said Bush was unlikely to mimic Gore, and Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar expressed hope that relations would improve at all levels.

"We hope the new administration will be more open and not have pre-conceived views about Malaysia," Syed Hamid Albar told The Associated Press.

The opposition put on a sober face. Lim Kit Siang, a leader in Malaysia's opposition Democratic Action Party, said that "life goes on" and the decision should not affect U.S. policy toward Malaysia much.

"Except, of course, if Al Gore won, Mahathir could not visit the White House," Lim said jokingly.

Raja Petra Kamaruddin, spokesman for the opposition National Justice Party, said that Bush was known to have strong views on human rights and was confident that "he will speak out against Mahathir when necessary."

Philip Matthews, the assistant director general of a government think-tank, the Institute of Strategic and International Studies, said the U.S. administration was unlikely to focus on Southeast Asia until the wounds of the bitter election campaign heal.

"In Bush, we can hope for a balanced view on Malaysia, as opposed to Al Gore, who had blatantly shown a serious prejudice against Malaysia and its government," Matthews said.

"I think Malaysia and the U.S. should work together to put back on keel their sometimes roller-coaster relationship," Matthews said.