Boycott US goods and currency: Dr M

Boycott US goods and currency: Dr M
By MAZWIN NIK ANIS

PUTRAJAYA: The world community should boycott the United States’ currency and products to pressure the superpower to stop supporting the violent attacks by Israel against Palestine, Tun Dr Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad said.

The former prime minister said while governments might not be able to support the move as many were “scared stiff” of the superpower, the people could play their part to “save Palestine.”

“The people can act and they have the capacity to act,” he said, saying that the people need not consume US-branded soft drinks and that the government can’t force them to drink it.

“ If we need to buy weapons, we can always buy them from Russia instead of the United States.

“The boycott will have to be a universal effort. If confined to Malaysia alone, it is not gong to be effective, but Malaysians must also play their part.

“We must not allow ourselves to be cowed. Even if we do little things, I think we can achieve quite a lot,” he told a press conference Monday to talk on the latest developments in the Middle East.

Dr Tun Dr. Mahathir, who is also the chairman of the Kuala Lumpur Foundation to Criminalise War, however acknowledged that there would be a price to pay if countries stopped trading with the world’s major trading nation.

“There is a price to pay for everything. If we want to do something good, then there will be a price to pay. I think if you whittle down involvement with the United States, slowly we will get used to it,” he said.

He said the best and the quickest solution to the Palestine issue was for the United States to stop supporting Israel’s atrocities, adding that while Israel was to be blamed for the deaths and maiming of thousands of Palestinians including women and children, the US and British governments should also be blamed for their “supportive role.”

“The United States is already paying the price for this. Their embassies have to have high walls and barbed wire all around. People hate the United States, but if they want to be hated by people it’s their business. But the support (for Israel) must stop,” he said.

Dr Tun Dr. Mahathir said Malaysia’s effort to initiate the convening of a special United Nations general assembly should be supported, adding the assembly should meet and seek a resolution for Israel to pull out of Gaza and stop the atrocities.

“There are opinions that the fight between Israelis and Palestinians is about religion. The crisis is not a religious struggle between Muslims and Jews. It is a fight about territorial issues,” he said.

Dr Tun Dr. Mahathir said he would talk with local non-governmental organisations on boycotting US products and would also write to several leaders to urge them to play their part in putting a stop to the killings in Palestine.

The Star, Latest, 5th January 2009