[asia-apec 716] MAHATHIR MUST RESIGN

[appasec]

MAHATHIR MUST RESIGN
Statement by Dr Syed Husin Ali, PRM President


Now that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been arrested, PRM demands that  he
must be accorded full justice and fair play, although there is widespread
cynicism if he can ever get this under the present dictatorial system
prevailing.

Earlier, PRM decided to support  Anwar Ibrahim's call that Prime Minister
Dr Mahathir Mohamad must step down. The decision was reached this
afternoon, 20 September 1998, after a three hour  meeting of its Central
Committee.

On 10 October 1997, we called on Dr Mahathir to plan his retirement as
early as possible and name his successor in order to ensure political
stability in this country. But the call fell on deaf ears. Events are
unraveling so fast now, rendering the future of this country uncertain.

Dr Mahathir is becoming a virtual dictator who is in the process of killing
democracy and destroying human rights in this country.

Dr Mahathir and the ruling clique that he leads are shamelessly continuing
to rape and sodomise the media, the court and the police.  

Dr Mahathir and his cronies continue to plunder the wealth and resources of
this country to build megamonuments and to bail out their ailing or
technically bankrupt companies.

Dr Mahathir is responsible for tarnishing the good image of the country
built  over the years, by allowing all  kinds of crazy things to be done
during the past few weeks. 

PRM remembers the saying that all those whom God wants to destroy, he
drives them crazy first. We fear that at the throes of his political death,
Dr Mahathir would resort to the use of the ISA (Internal Security Act)  to
carry out mass arrests or even to declare yet another emergency. PRM will
hold him responsible for all his dictatorial actions.




Dr Syed Husin Ali
President PRM

20 September 1998