KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today those who raised human rights issues in the country are lackeys of foreign countries or politicians.
He said that those who proclaimed to champion human rights should not be concerned about such rights in this country only.
The veteran politician was taking a swipe at human rights organisation Suaram which alleged that “Mahathirism” has returned following violations of political and civil rights by the government.
"You see, we are helping the people in war-torn Gaza, for example, that is the case of human rights violations. People are being killed. Do they (Suaram) say anything about that? Do they do anything to help? That is blatant human rights violation," Mahathir said.
He was speaking to reporters after attending MRSM Ideaprenuer Innovation Day in Bukit Jalil here.
Suaram today unveiled an overview of its Civil and Political Rights Report 2010, including highlighting the high number of arrests for public assemblies and clampdowns on the media which it claimed were signs of a “closing society”.
But Mahathir downplayed it, saying that all Suaram talked about was politics in Malaysia.
"Of course, they (Suaram) have to make accusations against the people who are against them... but that is not a good judgement," he said, adding that he was also entitled to say that civil rights groups, too, have breached human rights.
"I can also say they (Suaram) are guilty of violating human rights because I have the right to say that they are just a lackey of some other countries or politicians... I have the right to say that these people are breaching human rights," he said.
On “Ketuanan Melayu” (Malay supremacy), Mahathir said that he did not agree with the suggestion to ban the use of the term because it would not be of much help.
He said that imposing a ban would only create more problems.
He was commenting on a proposal by MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek that the term Ketuanan Melayu be banned because he claimed it had caused uneasiness among non-Malays.
'Illogical and baseless'
Chua made the suggestion at the recently-concluded Barisan Nasional convention.
Said Mahathir: "When you start asking things to be banned, people would start asking (questions). And there will be complaints. Many of these things are illogical and baseless, but when you (respond to them), you will be (labelled) a racist."
When asked whether the public debate on Ketuanan Melayu which he claimed was never a problem before, would cause dangerous repercussion in society, he said there was no proper way to solve the matter.
"These things never cropped up before until some people started questioning the position of the Malays... But when you respond, you will (be labelled) a racist.
"Then again, people who accused others of (defending Ketuanan Melayu) are also called racists. “When they make racist accusations, then those people have to reply. But when you respond, you are also being racist," he said.
Last week, during the party convention, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail created a furore when called for “Ketuanan Melayu” to be dropped in favour of “Ketuanan Rakyat” (Malay supremacy).
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