Apec turning into a security forum, warns Mahathir

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad (C) gestures as he speaks on the second day of the APEC CEO Summit at the Shangri-La hotel in Bangkok yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

His warning came hours after US President George W. Bush announced that Thailand would become the second Southeast Asian nation to be elevated as Washington's major non-NATO ally, after the Philippines.

The two Southeast Asian nations, which would be eligible for priority delivery of defence material in the exclusive US club, are at the forefront of Washington's anti-terror campaign in the region after the September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda attacks in the United States.

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"Apec was formed as an economic cooperation group. But we don't agree with taking away economic matters into security, military or politics, which are not really for Apec," Mahathir told Malaysian journalists.

Without identifying the United States, he said "there is a tendency to have agenda of strong countries inserted into Apec."

Apec, set up in 1989 as a forum for Pacific Rim economies to forge economic cooperation, should stick to its original objective, he said.

Mahathir, Southeast Asia's longest serving leader who retires at the end of this month after 22 years in power, and Bush are in Bangkok attending the annual Apec summit meeting.

Aside from efforts to revive stalled World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks to frame more effective global trade rules, the meeting here is expected to be dominated by the US-led anti-terror campaign.

Asian diplomats said a US plan to include in the Apec joint statement restrictions on the production and sale of surface-to-air shoulder-launched missiles as part of the anti-terror fight had faced protests from Malaysia.

Bush fears the so-called man-portable air-defense systems, known as MANPADS, could be used by the al-Qaeda terror group to shoot down commercial planes, particulary American aircraft, they said.

"Malaysia feels MANPADS is more of a security issue that cannot be addressed in Apec, which should concentrate on its main theme: economic issues," a diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Bush has signalled he will use the two-day summit, which began under extremely tight security Monday, to shore up regional alliances in the battle against terrorism.

Mahathir said he would use his farewell appearance to bring Apec back to what he called its original reason of formation, Malaysia's Bernama news agency reported.

"I want to explain our stand on what Apec should focus. We think it should focus on items like fair trade, equitability and not enlarging its present scope," he said.

Asked whether Apec was in danger of turning into a security forum, Mahathir said this could happen due to what he termed "the present situation."

"We know security matters are very important. But I think we should discuss it at other forums, security does not only affect certain countries but the whole world," he said.

Malaysia, which has a majority Muslim population, set up this year a regional anti-terrorism centre originally proposed by Bush, but dropped Washington as a fully-fledged partner in the scheme after being at pains to stress that no American forces would be involved.