Occupy Central not a genuine fight for democracy, says Mahathir Mohamad
Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad told an audience of business elites and political figures in Hong Kong yesterday that participants of Occupy Central were not genuinely fighting for democracy.
If there is one external force that anti-Occupy leader Robert Chow Yung and pro-establishment legislator Priscilla Leung Mei-fun would accept in interfering in Hong Kong affairs, it would be former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, who once curbed protests in his country with tear gas.
The retired politician told an audience of business elites and political figures in Hong Kong yesterday that participants of Occupy Central were not genuinely fighting for democracy as they were just a small number of people trying to change the government's policies.
"If you are going to fight for democracy, you must persuade the majority of the people to [participate]," Mahathir said in response to a question from Leung.
"But when you take to the streets and your number is very small in comparison to the population, and you force the majority of the people to accept your views, that is not democracy."
Chow, leader of the Silent Majority of Hong Kong and also a spokesman for the anti-Occupy Alliance for Peace and Democracy, then asked Mahathir how he would have handled the protests and occupation of major streets if they had taken place in Malaysia while he was still a state leader.
"The best way to handle it is to handle it before the occupying," Mahathir said.
"If you have confrontation, killing or beating them is not the solution of course. Over time they will get tired, and other people will be against them because they are undermining the economy, depriving people of their livelihood."
Leaders in Beijing and many pro-establishment figures in Hong Kong have accused "foreign forces", in particular the United States, of instigating the pro-democracy movement that has seen protesters occupying major roads in various locations for almost a month.
Mahathir, known for his critical views on the US and his autocratic rule, was Malaysia's longest-serving prime minister, holding the post for 22 years. Malaysian police suppressed protests with tear gas and violence under his administration. One such occasion was during a large protest triggered by the arrest of former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim in 1998. Anwar, now his opponent, was once regarded as Mahathir's scion.
