In his first major policy-oriented speech since taking office, Malaysia's new leader pledged yesterday to maintain his country's tough stance on terrorism and to speak out against global injustice. In an wide-ranging address to a packed Parliament, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi did not break new policy ground, but vowed to combat government corruption, expand economic prosperity and root out militancy. "We cannot compromise when dealing with the threats posed by extremism, terrorism and militancy," Abdullah told legislators. "Therefore the government's firmness in dealing with these threats must be fully supported to ensure the security and peace of our nation." Malaysia has detained without trial scores of suspected members of Jemaah Islamiyah, an Al Qaeda-linked extremist network and shared intelligence about alleged September 11 plotters with US authorities.
| The question is, what's his definition of terrorism? Mahathir cracked down on the kind that was a threat to his regime, was mushy soft on terrorists far enough away not to be a threat. |
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