Malaysia will continue to use Huawei's technology - Mahathir

TOKYO, May 30 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is unperturbed with the allegation of spying levelled against the Chinese tech giant, Huawei and will continue to make use of their technology as much as possible, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.

“We are too small to have an impact on the company like Huawei, whose research is far bigger than the whole of Malaysia’s research capabilities.

“So we try to make use of their technology as much as possible. Yes,  there may be some spying, but what is there to spy in Malaysia?” he said during a dialogue session at the 25th International Conference on The Future of Asia (Nikkei Conference) here, Thursday.

Dr Mahathir arrived in Tokyo Wednesday night for a three-day working visit.

The prime minister said Malaysia is an open book.

“Everybody knows if any countries want to invade Malaysia they can walk through, and we will not resist because it is a waste of time,” he quipped.

During the session, he also called on the US’ administration to make concessions in its disputes with China, including the spat surrounding allegation of Huawei’s spying activities. 

The prime minister also warned that failure to negotiate could lead both countries into a military conflict.

"(For instance), I understand Huawei has a tremendous advantage over American technology.

"But if you want to have a situation where you are always ahead and when you are not ahead I will ban you and send warships to your country, that is not a competition, that is threatening people and that is not the approach to use,” he stressed.

Later at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo, Dr Mahathir said: “America apparently is afraid of the advancements made by Huawei and they are suspicious that Huawei might be able to spy on them.”

Maybe there is ground for condemnation, “but I think that is not the way to go. You should compete with them in areas where you are strong,” said the Prime Minister.

Dr Mahathir also went on to say that he was quite sure that the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for example, has for a long time been reporting everything that is happening in Malaysia and China.

“We did not carry out a boycott of America because of that. They (US) had the capacity (then) and now Huawei has got the capacity to let them do their verse.”

-- BERNAMA