Sunday January 11, 2009
Boycotting US products won’t work
DOES former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad seriously think that boycotting US products will work?
I say his suggestion, though noble, will never work because Malaysians, especially the young, love the US too much for the boycott to work.
There is also a call to boycott Israeli products. Unless I have been asleep all these years, as far as I know Malaysia does not have direct trade with Israel, least of all diplomatic ties. So what products are we supposed to boycott?
I know of products that are marketed in Malaysia that are manufactured by American Jews, British Jews, French Jews, Russian Jews and so on. But they are not Jews who live in Israel and, as the unwritten rule goes, they are exempted and can trade with Malaysia.
Or is Dr Mahathir also referring to them too? If that is so, then I can tell you our country will be totally crippled overnight. The reality of it all is that we are too dependent on the US. It is our No. 1 trade partner, and we have no other choice but to be dependent on the US.
We must be realistic and use the means at hand to get the world to unite against the US and Israel. We must be more forceful and vocal in the United Nations, NAM and IOC. We must bust their veto power.
Malaysia may be a small country but with proper planning and support of all UN members it can work. I think Wisma Putra should be able to initiate this move. Forget boycotting US and Israeli products as it is a waste of time and energy.
MOHD GHAZALI OSMAN,
Ipoh.
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