TOKYO, May 30 (NNN-Bernama) — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Thursday that the world order has failed and that the world has to rethink countries’ relations with each other, especially in conflict resolution.
The Malaysian Prime Minister, addressing the 25th International Conference on The Future of Asia, also known as the Nikkei Conference, said conflicts must be resolved through negotiation, arbitration and the court of law.
“If we want a better world with a new order that is based solely on our subscription to the rule of international law, we resolve all problems through negotiation and not through confrontation and sending warships here and there,” he said in the keynote address.
Dr Mahathir said the first thing the world needs to decide is that all conflicts must be settled at the table and countries must be prepared to give up something to reach an agreement.
“Of course, all solutions cannot be satisfactory to everyone. If we are going to have a win-win situation, then everyone must be prepared to give up something.
“If we cannot decide ourselves, then let the court decide, and respect the decision of the court,” he said.
Dr Mahathir lambasted the aggressive mindset in dealing with confrontation, saying that “the world is still very primitive when we cannot solve our problems except by confrontation, violence, destruction and killing a huge number of people.
“If we resort to war and keep increasing our capacity to kill and destroy, then we cannot call ourselves a civilisation,” he said.
NNN-BERNAMA
