Mahathir-Soros:, Common, ground, global, peace

The political-lingo that says "there's no permanent friends and there's no permanent enemies" speaks true for Mahathir Mohamad and George Soros.

With one having retired from mainstream politics, and the other retired from speculative monetary markets, the decade-long enmity between the duo has given way to a blooming friendship.

In a historical meet in Kuala Lumpur which lasted over an hour this morning, Soros acknowledged Mahathir's declaration that he isn't anti-Semitic; while Mahathir accepted Soros' explanation that he wasn't involved in the currency attacks that Malaysia suffered during the 1997/98 Asian Financial Crisis.

Mahathir said the ringgit crash was a result of speculations by other currency traders.

Hence stopped the trans-oceanic volley-exchanges of calling each other moron and menace. They are now declared friends, and even found a common ground to take their ties a step further... for global peace.

Both of them expressed their concerns over the Palestine and Iraqi issues, and agreed that Bush's policy of waging wars cannot bring peace to the world.

Soros underscored the matter by saying that the American people have rejected Bush's unilaterialism policy as evidenced in the outcome of the recent mid-term Congressional election.

Capital control

Asked to comment on Malaysia's current monetary policy, Soros declined by saying that he is no longer a player in monetary speculation. However, he commented that Malaysia has suffered many missed opportunities by retaining the US dollar peg and capital control for far too long.

"But I am not saying that Mahathir is responsible for over-sustaining it (the US dollar peg and capital control)," Soros added. "Mahathir did the right thing in pegging the ringgit as it had helped stabilise the situation."

Defending the act of currency speculators, Soros said it's the authority (of every trading country) and not the speculators who should be held responsible.

"Speculators trade in accordance to the prevailing rules of the country and the respective authority should make sure that its (monetary) market functions," Soros said.

Soros is in town to promote his latest book, 'The Age of Fallibility: Consequence of the War on Terror'. Mahathir looks healthy and alert though he is recuperating from a mild heart attack.

Though President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono made time to meet up when Soros was visiting Indonesia, little birds say our Abdullah Badawi refused to see him.

More photos in LensaMalaysia.

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SPECIAL BRANCH. I have not seen hotel staff dressed as SB. Neither have I seen SB dressed as hotel staff. I think I saw both today.