CYBERJAYA, June 8 — Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said it is time to change the idea of war as a solution to disputes or conflicts between countries.
He said in civilised society, killing in wars was not acceptable just as killing of people could not be accepted in times of peace.
"The killing in war must be regarded as a crime just as killings in peace time are crimes, so the people who launch a war which results in killings must be regarded as criminals and must be punished as criminals," he said in his speech after being conferred a honorary Doctorate of Humanity by Limkokwing University of Creative Technology president Tan Sri Dr Lim Kok Wing here today.
The ceremony, which was to honour his extraordinary vision and achievements during his 22 years of premiership, including in liberalising private education, was also attended by his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali.
Dr Mahathir said throughout history men had resorted to killing each other in order to resolve conflicts and that during the primitive era it was regarded as a final solution as people then knew no better way as there were no diplomats or ambassadors and neither did they have the means of legal redress by resorting to courts of law.
"The damage then was not that much either, but with the passage of time, war has become more and more brutal. Trained killers and soldiers kill their enemies by the thousands, and to win, new strategies and new weapons were invented," he said.
He said war also resulted in the squandering of a nation's income as money was spent on weapons and it could have been better spent on abolishing poverty and other beneficial matters.
Dr Mahathir said war must not be accepted and must be abolished, as slavery had been abolished, for war was far worse than slavery.
He said it would of course take some time to change the values of mankind but that action must begin now and that the young from different countries must initiate the change.
Asked by reporters later whether the English language should be made a compulsory subject to pass the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, Dr Mahathir said he agreed.
He said, however, the decision should be left to the parents as it involves the future of their kids especially when they are trying to get a job or to study abroad.
He was commenting on Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's statement today that his ministry would get the public's opinion before deciding on the matter. — Bernama
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What a joke.......Its freaking amazing !!! Doctorate in Humanity .........