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Mahathir steps into adulthood leaving 'teens |
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July 17, 2000
KUALA LUMPUR (AP) - Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Sunday celebrated 19 years of rule in Malaysia with a trip to the country's largest state, even as the opposition took swipes at him over his handling of a recent national security scare. No lavish festivities were planned to mark the anniversary. Instead, Mahathir traveled to Sarawak state on Borneo island, where he was slated on Sunday to inaugurate an ethnic Chinese community center and attend a stadium rally with hundreds of youths. Mahathir, 74, has maintained a hectic work schedule since becoming Malaysia's fourth prime minister on July 16, 1981. Doctors say that Asia's longest serving ruler remains robust despite undergoing triple bypass surgery in 1989 and being hospitalized for severe bronchitis last year. Even though he transformed Malaysia from a land dotted with rubber plantations into an industrialized economy, Mahathir has come under heavy fire in recent years for refusing to relinquish power. The leader, who weathered two recessions since coming into power, faced his greatest political challenge in 1998 when thousands of Malaysians protested in the streets of the capital against his abrupt dismissal of former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar, who was later sentenced to six years imprisonment for corruption and put on trial for sodomy, told his supporters that Mahathir framed him to keep him from taking over the dominant United Malays National Organization. Mahathir's image took a bruising, but his ruling National Front coalition staved off a strong challenge from the opposition in last year's general election. The coalition kept its two-thirds majority in Parliament, while Mahathir promised that this would be his last term in power. His current deputy, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, is tipped to succeed Mahathir within the next five years. These days, the prime minister's thoughts seem aimed at strengthening ties among the country's multi-racial population. During his current visit to Sarawak, he has stressed that Malaysia's majority Malays must work toward unity with minority Chinese and Indian ethnic groups. "The differences between us are not meant to separate us but to show that we can live and play together," Mahathir said Saturday. Mahathir has vowed to address Malaysians on national television soon over the actions of the Al-Ma'unah Muslim extremist group, which stole weapons from military armories, killed two hostages and battled troops for four days in the jungle. Opposition leaders, however, insisted Sunday that Mahathir wants to turn the issue to his advantage. "Is Mahathir giving the TV address as prime minister of all Malaysians or as UMNO President who wants to exploit the issue against the opposition?" said Lim Kit Siang, chairman of the opposition Democratic Action Party. |