IT'S TIME TO CHANGE IDEAS ABOUT WAR, SAYS DR MAHATHIR

CYBERJAYA (Malaysia), June 9 (Bernama) -- Former Malaysian prime minister Dr
Mahathir Mohamad said it is time to change the idea of war as a solution to
disputes or conflicts between countries.

He said in civilised society killing in wars was not acceptable just as
killing of people cannot be accepted in times of peace.

"The killing in war must be regarded as a crime just as the killings in
peacetime are crimes, so the people who launch the war, which results in
killings must be regarded as criminals and must be punished as criminals," he
said in his speech after being conferred the Honorary Doctorate of Humanity by
Limkokwing University of Creative Technology president Dr Lim Kok Wing, here
Monday.

The ceremony which was to honour his extraordinary vision and achievements
during his 22 years of premiership, including in liberalising private education,
was also attended by his wife Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali.

Dr Mahathir said throughout history men had resorted to killing each other
in order to resolve conflicts and that during the primitive era it was regarded
as a final solution as people then knew no better way as there were no diplomats
or ambassadors and neither did they have the means of legal redress by resorting
to courts of law.

"The damage then was not that much either, but with the passage of time, war
has become more and more brutal. Trained killers and soldiers kill their enemies
by the thousands, and to win, new strategies and new weapons were invented," he
said.

He said war also resulted in the squandering of a nation's income as
money was spent on weapons and it could have been better spent on abolishing
poverty and other beneficial matters.

Dr Mahathir said war must not be accepted and must be abolished, as slavery
had been abolished, for war was far worse than slavery.

He said it would of course take some time to change the values of mankind
but that action must begin now and that the young from different countries
must initiate the change.

Asked by reporters later whether the English language should be made
a compulsory subject to pass the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination (a
national examination for secondary school students) Dr Mahathir said he agreed.

He said however, the decision should be left to the parents as it involves
the future of their kids especially when they are trying to get a job or to
study abroad.

He was asked to comment on Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister
Muhyiddin Yassin's statement Monday that his ministry would get the public's
opinion before deciding on the matter.
-- BERNAMA