Mahathir advises local Chinese- language newspapers and the opposition not to use Malaysia to condemn Indonesia for the May riots

SEREMBAN --Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad has advised local Chinese-language newspapers and the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) not to use the country to condemn Indonesia for the riots which erupted after the economic crisis hit the republic.

"This is not the way for us to help the people in Indonesia," he said, addressing party leaders of the governing National Front coalition, community chiefs, heads of organisation and senior government officials at a gathering here.

Dr Mahathir, who is also the National Front's chairman, said that an ideal way to help the Indonesians would be to persuade them to initiate a wealth-distribution mechanism for all the republic's ethnic groups.

"I appeal to Chinese newspapers and the DAP not to use Malaysia to condemn Indonesia for its internal problem. This is not good," he said.

He added that the rioting and looting of Chinese-owned shops in Indonesia had occurred because most of the country's businesses were in the hands of the Chinese and Indonesia lacked a policy like Malaysia's New Economic Policy (NEP) of wealth-sharing between indigenous and non-indigenous Indonesians.

"I'm quite worried that in Malaysia, there are efforts by the Chinese newspapers and the DAP to condemn Indonesia for the riots which destroyed many Chinese-owned shops," the Prime Minister noted.

He said that because business in Indonesia was controlled by the Chinese, indigenous Indonesians, not having enough money to buy goods, resorted to rioting and looted Chinese-owned shops.

He added that Indonesia has been severely impoverished, with 24 million people left jobless by the currency crisis triggered off by currency traders.

He reminded Malaysians that they, too, had to be wary so as not "to be swept away by the currents".