More on Australia-Asia relationships

6th March 1996

At the Europe-Asia summit in Bangkok this week, Dr Mahathir, Prime Minister of Malaysia, took the opportunity to again stress that he does not see Australia as "part of Asia", driven by his agenda of establishing his pet "East Asia Caucus" to supersede APEC which he sees too influenced by the US and Australia. More personally, his view that Australia does not share "Asian values" is evidenced to him by Keating's admittedly direct and pointed style which does admittedly contrast with Asian leaders more politically correct language and approach. He is still smarting from being called a "recalcitrant" by Keating, plus perceived slights against Malaysia in everything from ABC television serials (eg: Embassy) and films (eg Turtle Beach) to press reports. Most of which reveals a misunderstanding on both sides of the very different role and control of the press and media in each country.

Dr Mahathir, who we all know is a regular user of the World Wide Web, may be advised to visit the page of collected Keating quotes, to reassure himself that Keatings comments about him were relatively moderate..., and compared to his comments on Prime minister elect John Howard, almost affectionate. ...Not that Dr Mahathir would care much anyway. There must be a warm feeling in his heart that the scumbag has been disposed of by the Australian public though he is not making this as public as the UK rags who are gloating about the demise of the "Lizard of OZ", now retitled the "Lizard of WOZ" who had the temerity to touch their queen.

Australia, perhaps growing tired of the cold shoulder being presented in Kuala Lumpur, continues building strong relationships with Soeharto in Indonesia where despite strong disagreements over such issues as the soveriegnty of Irian Jaya in the past progresses with alacrity. Most Asian leaders have been slow to endorse Dr Mahathir's East Asian Caucus, and see APEC, together with ASEAN as already providing much of what Dr Mahathir's proposal promises.

Mahathir is a strong beleiver in the concept of "Asian values" which ASEAN, Japan, China, Taiwan and Korea to name some share. Having looked on with increasing envy at the fast growing Singapore, that indeed not so long ago was part of Malaysia, Mahathir is an admirer of what Lee Kuan Yuew was able to achieve in a short time, though of couse accepting that Singapore has a more homogeneous racial breakdown and better able to instill values across a small and physically concentrated population. Mahathir follows many of the principles proved successful in Singapore, including strong control over the media, the Asian concept of the primacy of the collective over the individual, values of familial ties, and the support of a large disparity between rich and poor while providing perceived opportunities for the poor to acheive material wealth by their labor. Australia's perceived Western style of a free press, emphasis on the individual, increasing signs of "Western decadence" such as crime rates and breakdown of the family unit, and an ongoing classless society with less distinction between poor and rich, has no place for Mahathir in his vision for Malaysia of 2020.

More pragmatically, Australia and NZ are perceived as being able to offer nothing unique and indeed less than Europe and the US can in terms of trade. There is no doubting that Mahathir is a strong and effective leader and his comments that Australia and New Zealand can never be part of Asia makes sense in many ways.

Lee Kuan Yuew disagrees. He thinks that Australia IS part of it, evidenced by his famous claim in Sydney 10 years ago, that Australia "...is the white trash of Asia..."