Oleh 		: 	DATO SERI DR MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD 
Tempat		: 	DOHA, QATAR
Tarikh		: 	12-11-2000 
Tajuk 		: 	THE NINTH ISLAMIC 
			SUMMIT CONFERENCE
Penyampai	: 	PM

 On behalf of the Asian Group, allow me at the
outset to extend to his Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, our
warmest congratulations on his unanimous election as chairman of the
Summit. His election is testimony to the recognition and respect that he
enjoys as an illustrious statesman of outstanding credibility. I am
confident, under his wise guidance, this assembly will bring about not
only fruitful discussions among us but also useful and concrete decisions
that will reflect the spirit of friendship and the brotherhood of Muslims
worldwide. 2. Allow me also, on behalf of the Asian Group including the
Malaysian delegation, to record our appreciation to his Excellency
President Khatami of the Islamic Republic of Iran for his dedication and
contributions during his tenure as the chairman. Iran's role in the
furtherance of Islamic causes is not new to us and we are most grateful
for its untiring effort. 3. I am deeply honoured and touched by the warm
welcome and wish to express my appreciation to His Highness, to the
Government and the people of Qatar for the warm hospitality accorded to me
and my delegation. 4. The Islamic Summit, a gathering of 56 Heads of State
and Government, is being held in Doha against the backdrop of the deaths
of so many valiant Palestinian people, including children, killed and
maimed by Israeli bombs, mortars and bullets. They fought and died for
their rights to freedom as well as their dignity. They also fought and
died undeniably in defence of Islam. 5. Sadly, Muslim countries,
representing more than a third of the membership of the United Nations,
watch helplessly as Israel continues with impunity and arrogance to kill
innocent Palestinians. Such is the dire state of Muslim countries that we
are unable to respond effectively to the challenge posed by the cowardly
acts of Israel. Not only are the Palestinians under assault, so are Muslim
honour and unity. 6. The fate of the Palestinians is inextricably linked
to the Muslims as a whole. The Palestinians are clearly living under
occupation denied their rights and freedom. The assaults on the
Palestinian are assaults on the Muslims, their dignity and honour. Muslim
countries cannot just watch Israelis killing Palestinians with
impunity. Surely we can do something about it? 7. The current development
in the Middle East certainly calls for unity and solidarity within the
Ummah. What is happening to the Palestinians could obviously happen to us
also. Indeed in Yugoslavia and Chechnya and elsewhere it is
happening. Must we wait until all of us are ground into the ground before
we appreciate the need to act? 8. The OIC as an organisation, in
particular the current Summit, can play a constructive role in championing
the cause of the Palestinians and of Muslims everywhere. Our collective
voice should be heard loud and clear in support of the Palestinians and
there are obviously things which we can do to make our objections felt. We
should remain steadfast in making no compromises on the status of Al Quds
Al Sharif as the political and historical city of the Palestinian people
and State. We should continue to address the cause of ensuring the return
of the rest of the Occupied Palestinian and Arab territories including
Syrian Golan. We should support all efforts including those made by the UN
at achieving a peaceful settlement and at rescuing the peace process in
the interest of regional peace and security. The Palestinian leadership
too should be fully supported and assisted with whatever means
possible. 9. I believe that the holding of this Summit is most opportune
for us to collectively address this most important issue. Let us therefore
not bicker among ourselves but instead approach it with a collective heart
and mind. Let us truly act as an organisation of like- minded and
religiously dedicated people. Let us shame those who loudly condemn
imaginary oppression and yet do nothing when blatant violations of human
rights take place before their very eyes. The Palestinians have struggled
and suffered long enough. The time has come for them to take what is
theirs with our support. 10. In advocating a fresh renewal of our support
for the Palestinians, I am conscious of the complexities involved. Much as
we would like to be of help the various obstacles outside our control
remain. Israeli political, economic and military clout could not be simply
ignored nor underestimated. Nor could we simply ignore US biases towards
Israel that has helped shaped events and developments to the detriment of
the Palestinians. It is important therefore that our ideals, zeal, and
enthusiasm be tempered with reality and pragmatism. But given our
seriousness of purpose and dedication to a united cause, I am confident
that we could help move in the right direction to attain our desired
objectives. 11. The last time the world ushered in a new millennium, the
Islamic civilisation was at its zenith. Today in the third millennium of
the Christian era, sadly, Islamic civilisation is at its lowest ebb. The
centres of learning and knowledge at the beginning of the second
millennium were Damsyik, Baghdad, Cordoba and Samarkand. It is a known
fact that Muslim countries control most of the world natural resources
then and even today. Yet, Muslim countries are generally caught in their
own quagmires of abject poverty and internal violence. There are more
intra Muslim conflicts within Muslim countries and between Muslim
countries, than there are between Muslims and their
detractors. 12. Considering the sad state and calamity that has befallen
the Muslim countries, the theme "peace and development" that has been
selected for the Doha Summit is most appropriate and timely. The Summit is
timely as it provides an occasion for us to take stock of the lessons and
experiences of the past and to look forward to new ideas and new
programmes to meet the developmental needs of the Ummah. Both these
questions should be addressed openly and with honesty. The responsibility
to address these issues is a collective one. 13. "Peace" is an integral
ingredient of a Muslim's life. It appears in 53 verses in the holy
Quran. "Peace" is the very word that is uttered by Muslims all over the
world, from all walks of life, as it is the form of greeting of
Muslims. It is therefore incumbent upon all Muslims to promote peace as a
way of life in order to achieve development. Finding reasons for fighting
each other and with others is not Islamic. 14. Peace and development are
the twin challenges confronting the Ummah. They are complementary. Without
one, there cannot be other. This means that the OIC, established to
promote Islamic unity and cooperation should take concerted efforts to
promote peace and development. The OIC must ensure that a new culture of
peace and development is propagated among Member States, and Muslims
generally. 15. The world has changed. It is increasingly
interdependent. The world is driven by multifaceted interests - by a
variety of actors who forge new alliances around shifting goal
posts. Countries are redefining themselves; friends and foes are being
reinvented and realigned, and everything is open to new interpretations
and meaning and new instruments are being forged to realise new
visions. 16. Given the new realities, the crucial question before us today
is: Can OIC redefine or reinvent itself so as to be effective and relevant
in terms of its focus, structure and methodology of developing strategies
to meet the new challenges of peace and development? Sooner or later the
difficulties which will be faced by the OIC will compel it to redefine its
structure and mechanism. It should redefine and act now rather than
later. The Muslim ummah are entitled to expect the organisation to do
this. 17. The difficulties encountered by the OIC in the past have for the
most part, been due to, conflict of interests, ideology and the desire for
hegemony by Member States themselves. We should forget all these. None of
us are going to succeed in forcing the billion Muslims to be standardised
according to its wish. We should accept our differences and focus instead
on cooperation between us. The reform of the OIC, in line with the theme
of this Summit, should be directed towards strengthening its role
particularly in peace and development. 18. In order to ensure that the OIC
renews both its relevance and its effectiveness, reform must be rooted in
a new consensus among Governments on the role of the OIC, its core
functions, its priorities, what it can do best, what it should do with
others and what it should leave others to do. 19. I am keenly aware of the
complexities of the task. Its success requires changes in structure and
methodology of work. It must involve mutually reinforcing actions by
Governments and by the Secretariat. 20. Economic globalisation is
unquestionably the shape of the future. Its effects are universal and
impact on all facets of life, including the political, economic and social
landscape. Globalisation, a concept that is more Islamic than nation
states, can be a powerful and dynamic force for strengthening Islamic
cooperations and accelerating growth and development, but in its present
form it poses many risks and challenges. Our task is to ensure that its
benefits are spread to all and not merely to a privileged few. OIC has to
make a serious effort to ensure that globalisation becomes an effective
instrument for the development of all Muslim countries and the
ummah. 21. Given the importance of trade in economic development, it is
high time that OIC member countries enhance trade and economic cooperation
among themselves, and break the trade barriers against each other. Easing
of trade will create a big market comprising of Muslim countries, and this
big market size will attract FDI. Properly managed FDI can contribute to
our development. Similarly, a well-planned programme can be developed to
promote Muslim Direct Investment (MDI) in the OIC member countries. After
all most of the FDI go to the developed countries because of their ties
with each other. 22. Under this plan, Muslim investors in capital-rich
countries should be encouraged to invest in Muslim countries with know-how
and technology but lacking in capital. Entrepreneurs in these two types of
countries can also team up to invest in resource-rich Muslim countries
which lack both capital and skills. Many of the products now imported into
Muslim countries can be sourced from other Muslim countries without
sacrificing quality or cost. 23. However, for FDI and MDI to be attracted
and the industries to be established in the Muslim countries, there is a
need for the investment environment to be attractive. Changing conditions
already agreed upon when the investment was made for whatever reasons,
including political, will discourage further investments. Internal
problems should not be taken out of FDI or MDI. 24. Let us acknowledge
that the IDB had been doing a good job in project financing. But more can
be done by the IDB in countries with difficulties in gaining access to
funds. The Islamic banking system can ensure that the banks maintain an
active interest in the affairs of the enterprises. 25. Should the OIC
redifine and refocus itself so as to be in keeping with the times, the
Islamic Ummah over the next 20-30 years may be able to adjust to the
globalised world and the Information Age. It is our bounden duty to ensure
that this will happen. While we should never let the sufferings and
oppression of the Palestinians and other Muslims be sidelined or
forgotten, we must not let our long-term objectives be dimmed. 26. I am
confident that the deliberations during this Summit will result in
concrete outcomes that will set a new direction for the OIC to seek and
implement peace and development in order to enable the Ummah to meet the
new challenges of the 21st century of the Christian calendar. The OIC must
assume a leading role in achieving this objective. Insya-Allah we will be
able to put the ummah on the course of "self help" allowing it to solve
its problems through mutual cooperation and support. 27. As a member of
the OIC, Malaysia is keen to continue to strengthen the influence and to
promote the activities and programmes of the organisation. We consider the
triennial Islamic summit as an important forum for constructive
deliberations for the development of the Ummah. It is in this connection
that I, on behalf of the Government and people of Malaysia, would like to
offer to host the Tenth Session of the Islamic Summit Conference in Kuala
Lumpur in the year 2003. It is my sincere hope that this offer would meet
with a favourable consideration of all members. Sumber : Pejabat Perdana
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