PETALING JAYA: MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (pic) has urged Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to stop picking fights with other countries as his actions will affect the well-being of the country.

"It cannot be denied that Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is a leader with plenty of experience. But at the same time he has a reputation for openly fighting with other powerful countries.

"During his previous stint as prime minister, he might have been seen as a speaker for other third world countries but the world today is different from the one 20 years ago.

"If Dr Mahathir continues to say whatever he pleases, it will just offend other powerful countries and would very much affect the country," he said in a Facebook post on Sunday (Dec 22).

He gave the example of several incidents, including Dr Mahathir's recent comment about India's new citizenship law, which reportedly led to India's Ministry of External Affairs summoning Malaysia's acting head of mission for an explanation.

Dr Wee also pointed out that Dr Mahathir's previous comment about the Kashmir conflict had irked India, which affected palm oil exports.

"Respected Prime Minister, the uncertainty of the global economy will affect Malaysia's economy. The government should avoid any disputes with other powerful countries, and instead focus on building up the local economy.

"It's only by maintaining strong and positive diplomatic relations with other countries can we create more business opportunities for our country.

"What use is it to save ourselves when we have lost friends all over the world?" he said.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/12/22/stop-picking-fights-with-other-countries-wee-urges-dr-m