Malaysians Rally Around Mahathir 
International Herald Tribune
October 20, 1997
Thomas Fuller

Amid prospects of rising prices and slower economic growth, Malaysians have taken to the streets. But far from demanding a change in government, these demonstrators are proclaiming their support for their prime minister, Mahathir bin Mohamad.

The demonstrations are relatively small, usually from several hundred to a few thousand people, but the message is clear: "Dr. Mahathir will be with us until kingdom come," said Kirpal Singh, who helped organize a show of support Sunday on behalf of the country's Sikhs.

"We strongly support him, and we don't question his leadership at all," Mr. Singh said.

For three days last week, 30,000 bank employees sported large badges emblazoned with messages of support for the prime minister.

Mr. Mahathir also is greeted almost daily by supporters carrying placards saying "Do Not Fear the West, Mahathir" and "Continue Being the Third World Hero, Mahathir."

At a rally over the weekend, more than 10,000 supporters showed up for an event that Mr. Mahathir, who is ill with the flu, did not attend.

At the Sikh rally Sunday, Mr. Singh sat in a dining hall that is part of the group's community center in Kuala Lumpur. Next to him were fellow organizers of the rally — all of whom said they traveled abroad regularly and owned shares in Malaysian companies. The fall in the value of Malaysia's currency, the ringgit, means foreign travel is about 30 percent more expensive than it was three months ago, and the value of blue-chip stocks has plummeted around 40 percent since the beginning of the year.

But Mr. Singh is far from despondent or angry. "The ringgit is down, but we are not down," he says.

Mr. Mahathir has been attracting worldwide attention, with the leader of this relatively small country of 21 million people featured on the covers and front pages of international newspapers and magazines.

But the prime minister's supporters say the international press has portrayed Mr. Mahathir in a negative light and accuse foreign magazines of meddling in Malaysia's internal affairs.

After 16 years in power, and amid an enduring financial crisis, it might seem normal in a democracy for opposition leaders to demand that Mr. Mahathir, 71, step down. In neighboring Thailand in recent weeks, many newspapers and opposition leaders have called for their prime minister's resignation after months of financial turmoil.

But no influential figure in Malaysia has publicly called for this prime minister's resignation or even hinted that Mr. Mahathir should cede power to his anointed successor, Anwar Ibrahim, the deputy prime minister.

Even the opposition leader, Lim Kit Siang, in proposing last week that a vote of confidence be considered in Parliament, emphasized that his Democratic Action Party was not calling for Mr. Mahathir to step down.

Nik Aziz, the chief minister of Kelantan, the only state in Malaysia controlled by an opposition party, also has rejected any such call.

"When our country is in crisis, we must unite," he said.

Any suggestions that Mr. Mahathir should step down have come mostly from the international press. Time magazine a few weeks ago published a flattering portrait of Mr. Anwar and said on the cover of its regional edition: "Malaysia's No. 2 is the star of a rising generation of leaders, but will Mahathir give him a chance?"

Both the Time article and other recent comments in foreign publications raised a stir in Malaysia, prompting Mr. Mahathir to weigh in.

"If you want to throw out this leader just because a certain magazine says this leader is no good, there goes democracy," he said. "The truth is, it has never crossed my mind to resign."

Newspapers print letters from readers supporting the prime minister. One recent letter to the New Straits Times was titled "Reflections on a Man of Rare Courage."

"Malaysian culture, that of the Malays in particular, does not allow us to forsake a person when he is down," the letter said. "We rally around and help him to get up — especially a person of Dr. Mahathir's stature who has done so much for Malaysia and its people."

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