US embassy cable - 95KUALALUMPUR1919

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUALA LUMPUR 001919 
 
 
EAP/PIMBS 
 
E.O.12356: DECL: OADR 
TAGS:  PREL, PGOV, MY 
SUBJECT:  TIME UPSETS MAHATHIR 
 
1.  PRIME MINISTER MAHATHIR RESPONDED WITH ANTI-WEST 
RHETORIC TO AN ARTICLE IN THE APRIL 10 ISSUE OF TIME 
MAGAZINE WHICH ALLEGED THAT ABU SAYYAF, A SMALL MUSLIM 
EXTREMIST GROUP BASED IN THE SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES, WAS 
RECEIVING ARMS, MONEY AND TRAINING FROM ISLAMIC GROUPS 
IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES INCLUDING MALAYSIA.  THE ARTICLE 
ALSO REPORTED THAT "THE GROUP USES TRAINING CAMPS IN 
MALAYSIA AND IS EXPECTING ARMS SHIPMENTS FROM 
SUPPORTERS THERE."  THE PRIME MINISTER DESCRIBED THE 
PIECE AS A "PART OF A CAMPAIGN BY THE WESTERN MEDIA TO 
DISCREDIT MALAYSIA" TO "DETER PEOPLE FROM INVESTING 
AND VISITING HERE, GENERALLY AIMED AT UNDERMINING THE 
NATION'S ECONOMY AND ITS DEVELOPMENT."  PEOPLE UNHAPPY 
WITH MALAYSIA'S "VOCIFEROUS" STAND ON INTERNATIONAL 
ISSUES, HE EXPLAINED, WERE BEHIND THE WESTERN MEDIA'S 
CONSPIRACY.  HE ALSO CONFIDENTLY CHALLENGED TIME TO 
"COME TO MALAYSIA AND MAKE A REPORT HERE" THAT 
MALAYSIA IS TRAINING TERRORISTS.  THE INFORMATION 
MINISTER ECHOED THE PM'S LINE.  NO ONE FROM THE GOM 
HAS FORMALLY OR INFORMALLY COMPLAINED ABOUT THE 
ARTICLE TO US.  SEVERAL OF OUR MALAYSIAN CONTACTS ARE 
CURIOUS ABOUT THE STORY -- THEY WANT TO KNOW IF IT'S 
TRUE. 
 
2.  COMMENT:  MAHATHIR WAS STILL ANXIOUS ABOUT THE 
NEGATIVE IMPACT OF A RECENT FORTUNE ARTICLE WHICH 
DESCRIBED THE MALAYSIAN CURRENCY AS AT RISK 
POST-MEXICO, WHEN THE TIME PIECE CAME OUT.  HE ORDERED 
A DELAY IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE TIME ISSUE BUT DID 
NOT BAN IT.  (OBSERVERS EXPECT THE MAGAZINE WILL BE 
ALLOWED ON THE SHELVES IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.)  WITH 
THE GENERAL ELECTION JUST AROUND THE CORNER, HIS 
RHETORIC WAS VERY MUCH EXPECTED SINCE CONSPIRACY 
THEORIES STILL HAVE A FOLLOWING HERE.  HOWEVER, AS 
COMPARED TO HIS PREVIOUS BOUTS WITH WESTERN MEDIA 
(MOST NOTABLY, DENYING CONTRACTS TO BRITISH FIRMS IN 
RESPONSE TO AN UNFLATTERING ARTICLE IN THE BRITISH 
PRESS), THE PM'S REACTION TO FORTUNE AND NOW TIME 
PIECES HAS BEEN MODERATE AND APPARENTLY SHORT LIVED. 
THERE MAY BE SEVERAL REASONS FOR THIS.  DIFFERENT FROM 
PREVIOUS CASES, MAHATHIR WAS NOT PERSONALLY MENTIONED 
IN THE STORIES.  FURTHER, THE LAST TWO ANTI-BRITISH 
AND ANTI-AUSTRALIAN OUTINGS HAVE NOT BEEN VIEWED AS 
CLEAR-CUT VICTORIES FOR THE PM.  FINALLY, GIVEN THE 
MURKY GENERAL HISTORY OF MORO-MALAYSIAN DEALINGS, HE 
MAY FEEL IT BEST NOT TO GO INTO TOO MANY DETAILS.  THE 
FACT THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED ALMOST NO QUERIES FROM THE 
PRESS IS FURTHER INDICATION THAT THE GOVERNMENT DOES 
NOT WISH TO MAKE AN ISSUE OF THIS AT THIS TIME. 
 
 
CHAMBERLIN