MALAYSIA / CHARGES AGAINST FORMER D

[suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: MALAYSIA / CHARGES AGAINST FORMER DEPUTY  PREMIER 

                                                           
                                        October 21, 1998 


                                


  MALAYSIA / CHARGES AGAINST FORMER DEPUTY
                      PREMIER

 Estrada 'picking no
 fight'

 Kuala Lumpur and Manila, Agencies

 Philippines President Joseph Estrada said yesterday he was "not
 picking a fight" with Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad and looked
 forward to meeting him at an Asia-Pacific summit in Kuala Lumpur
 next month.

 Ties have been strained in recent weeks over Mr Estrada's criticism of
 the treatment of his "friend" Anwar Ibrahim, the sacked Malaysian
 deputy premier who was arrested last month and will stand trial next
 month on sodomy and corruption charges.

 "I'm not picking a fight with Prime Minister Mahathir. I hope that he
 will be enlightened," Mr Estrada said as 200 Mahathir supporters
 picketed the Philippine embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

 Mr Estrada said he had never met Mr Mahathir, but added: "I'm
 looking forward that it would be a very fruitful meeting with him."

 The Philippines said on Monday that Malaysia had cancelled a
 defence cooperation meeting in Manila next week, but Mr Estrada
 said bilateral ties remained strong.

 "It's my personal feeling with the former deputy prime minister
 Anwar," he said yesterday. "This is not the policy of our government."

 Meanwhile, a group of Philippine legislators said they planned to go to
 Mr Anwar's trial. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino, son of ex-president
 Corazon Aquino, will also go. Diplomats say the visit may hamper
 relations.

 Supporters of Mr Mahathir who gathered outside the Philippine
 embassy chanted "Long live Mahathir". Members of the premier's
 United Malays National Organisation party were among them. They
 also demanded an apology from Mr Estrada. 

                                                       
                                                       Classifieds

                                                       Jobs
                                                       Property
                                                       Entertainment
                                                       Investment
                                                       Education
                                                       Travel
                                                       Sales

                                                       Learn English

                                                       Weekly 

                                                       Database
                                                       Horizons
                                                       NiteOwl
                                                       Student
                                                       Weekly
                                                       Real Time

                                                       Special

                                                       We Care
                                                       Street Art

                                                       Back Issues

                                                       Last Month
                                                       Archive

                                                       Company
                                                       Servcies
                                                       Subscriptions
                                                       Advertising

                                                       Annual Report
                   


 © Copyright The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. 1998
 Last Modified: Wed, Oct 21, 1998
 For comments and letters to the editor see : notes
 Comments to: Webmaster
 Advertising enquiries to Internet Marketing