Dr Mahathir’s Selected Letters to World Leaders, a must read book

By: Datuk Rejal Arbee
courtesy of www.mykmu.net

If the overwhelming response to the launching of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s latest book on Jan 30 is anything to go by, it could be said to prelude the kind of expectations for the publication of his much awaited memoirs – still being completed. Though there wasn’t even standing room in the jam packed Perdana Leadership Foundation hall in Putrajaya that morning to witness the launching, no mainstream newspaper to date apart from Utusan Malaysia deem fit to review it.
Of course it would be too much to expect the stable of newspapers of the New Straits Times Group to give the book a platform.
The event was indeed covered, but what was given space were comments and views of the Tun on current events and the impending general elections. Yet despite this apparent boycott of the book by the mainsteam media, ie the NST stable of papers, the Star and even the Sun, the first print run of 3,000 copies were sold out within days. The publishers are now hurriedly getting out the second print.
This is not surprising considering that there are not many books carrying letters written by the head of a third world government known for not mincing his words against the unjust and undemocratic actions by the scion of democracy, the likes of President George W. Bush of the United States has been published.
The book itself which carried a total of 71 letters by Dr Mahathir to Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush, Jacques Chirac of France, Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair and Prince Charles among others and some of their replies were compiled into four main areas of concern which Dr Mahathir had articulated in his many speeches both at home and abroad. These are Terrorism, Globalisation, War and Conflict, and Economic and Diplomatic Relations.
His views on these matters are well known but the letters that he dispatched to leaders of the developed world underlines his concerns over actions – some undemocratic and unjust – taken by the powerful states underscoring their interests to the detriments of overall interests of the world and especially the more vulnerable smaller developing and underdeveloped nations.
It is unfortunate that the powers that be only allow these 71 letters to be published even though Dr Mahathir in his prologue stated that he had collected a total of 200 letters for release to the public. “The government appeared to hesitate giving permission to make the letters public but eventually allowed 84 of them to be published. Thirteen letters were not included by the publishers because they were considered not significant,” said Dr Mahathir in the prologue. I understand that the government took some six months to make its decision.
The compiler of the book, Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad in his introduction said there was a large bank of letters which Mahathir wrote to world leaders during his tenure of 22 years as the Prime Minister expressing his concerns over world events as they enfolded of which 200 were selected by Mahathir for publication. It is understood that Dr Mahathir during that time wrote over 3,000 letters to various world leaders on various topics and issues affecting the world and especially the developing countries that had been adversely affected by the actions of the powerful but unable to do anything to respond.
It would of course be interesting to read all the letters. Perhaps they would all be declassified in due time.
Abdullah said selection of the 71 letters for release was poor (it was imposed on Dr Mahathir by the government of his successor) as those withheld were more noteworthy and interesting encompassing a diversity of subjects and the clash of opinions.
Dr Mahathir admitted that his efforts did not achieve tangible results. “Nevertheless he did what he could. Many other world leaders feared offending the powerful and did nothing, though privately they agreed with Dr Mahathir,” said Abdullah.
What struck me immediately after getting the book that morning was the absence of the correspondences between Dr Mahathir and the leaders of Singapore, the vunerable Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chock Tong. I mentioned this to one of Dr Mahathir’s aides only to be told that this could be the subject of a second book on letters to world leaders.
But another remarked that Lee or Goh are not quite world leaders and the topics covered in their correspondences were basically bilateral issues affecting Malaysia and the republic.
The letters to me exudes the frustrations of a leader of a small country at the antics of the big powers over globalization, free trade and investment, oppressions of the Muslims and how Islam was being misrepresented among others. Most of the letters are short and crisp but two – one to President Bill Clinton (9pages) and the other to President JacquesChirac (10 pages) are the only lengthy ones.
Of those published most of the letters were to Clinton (10) followed by Bush, the junior and current President (7). Most of those letters were short and crisp and businesslike.
The long letter to Clinton was sent in his capacity as Chairman of G15 in June 1997 to bring to the attention of the G7 summit scheduled to be held later that year the concerns of the developing countries on issues such as globalization (which should come with global responsibilities). stimulation of economic and social development of the developing countries should be through constructive engagement rather than marginalising them or through actions can only bring about economic stagnation of the poor countries as well as the question of sustainable development when addressing global environmental problems.
The other long letter was sent in May 2003 in his capacity as Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to Chirac as Chairman of the Group of 8 thanking Chirac for his initiative to convene a meeting of the G8 with leaders of the developing countries prior to the G8 annual summit. In it he addressed issues including International Peace and Security, International Terrorism, Disarmament, Democracy and Good Governance, Human Rights, Trade and Economic Issues, Financial, Investment and Monetary Issues and the question of Africa.
There was also one letter to Bush in Oct 2001 in the aftermath of the 911 tragedy and the subsequent US response to global terrorism where Mahathir articulated his case for an international conference to define and condemn terrorism including State terrorism. He explained the perception how the Palestinians, Iraqis, Chechens and Bosnians among others had been massacred, brutalized, raped and humiliated while the world looked on.
He began the letter saying he hesitated to write the letter because he did not think that the President of the United States has to listen to a leader of a third world country. Nonetheless he felt there was a need to set forth his views even if it irked the President of the United States. Bush in his response just side stepped Mahathir’s suggestion for the international conference only to say that any linkages between political problems and acts of terror must be rejected.
It is obvious that among leaders of world which he corresponded as included in this book, he struck good rapport and close friendship with French President Jacques Chirac. Chirac in his letters had officially addressed him as the PM with the addendum friend (handwritten) and signed with a hand written My Best Regards. Dr Mahathir reciprocated writing by hand addressing Chirac as Mr President and friend.

Rejal Arbee
17 Feb 2003