Benevolent Dictactor The Solution For Iraq, Says Dr Mahathir
Bernama – 12/4/2006
PUTRAJAYA - A benevolent dictator is the solution for maintaining stability in Iraq for the time being after democracy seems to have failed, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Wednesday.

The former prime minister said such a leader could control the people from contributing to instability, which would slow down economic development.

"Maybe you have to have a strong hand to stop people from becoming violent. If you allow people to do what they think they like, the country will end in chaos. People will be fighting each other," he said.

Dr Mahathir was speaking to reporters after delivering a keynote address on "Political Stability and Sustainability as a Key Success Factor in Developing Malaysia" at the Perdana Discourse Series at the Perdana Leadership Foundation, here.

He said the Iraqis did not understand what democracy was all about when they were asked to be democratic.

"As a result, they are worse under democracy than under benevolent dictatorship," he said, adding that more people were killed during the current democracy period compared to previously.

He said democracy was good but people need to learn how to make democracy work as there were some limitations because people just could not exercise their freedom completely without caring for other people.

In his keynote address, Dr Mahathir said the sharing and sacrifices made by all ethnic groups in Malaysia had contributed to the continued stability in the country.

The Malays, for example, have stopped calling this country "Tanah Melayu" (Land of the Malays) and sacrificed Jawi as their main written language so that others could read the Romanised alphabet, and share this country with the other races.

The other races, too, were willing to make sacrifices by understanding that not 100 per cent of their demands could be fulfilled, and sharing the economic cake of the country, he said.

The one-day Perdana Discourse Series was organised by the Perdana Leadership Foundation and Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).
Source: Bernama | www.bernama.com