KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has renewed his strong criticism of the United States, condemning what he sees as its hypocritical and destructive foreign policies, particularly under former president Donald Trump.
KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has renewed his strong criticism of the United States, condemning what he sees as its hypocritical and destructive foreign policies, particularly under former president Donald Trump.
In an interview with TIME magazine, Dr Mahathir also took aim directly at Trump, describing his worldview as outdated and misguided.
“I don’t think he understands the world. He’s 100 years behind the times,” Dr Mahathir remarked. “Talking about taking over Greenland, Panama, and expelling people from Gaza — these kinds of things can’t be done anymore. Leaders must respect people’s rights. This is not how nations should be governed.”
The former prime minister sharply criticised the US for enabling Israel’s continued violence against Palestinians in Gaza, accusing Washington of complicity in what he described as genocidal actions.
“With Ukraine, [Trump] said it’s a loan that must be repaid. But with Israel, it’s not a loan — it's direct support for genocide. That’s not a model we can accept,” he said.
Defending China, Dr Mahathir argued that the US is attempting to suppress the rise of the Asian superpower, calling the Chinese “hard-working and skilful” and insisting their growth cannot be halted.
He accused Washington of deliberately provoking Beijing, particularly by backing Taiwan, and warned that such moves risk igniting conflict.
“China could have invaded Taiwan long ago but didn’t, because Taiwan was useful. The US, however, seems unhappy unless there’s confrontation,” he said, citing former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s 2022 Taiwan visit as an example of provocation.
Dr Mahathir also criticised the US naval presence in the South China Sea, calling it destabilising and unnecessary.
“Imagine if China sent warships to the Caribbean and conducted drills there — how would America respond? The South China Sea is not the US — this is Asia,” he asserted.
He concluded by urging the US to exercise its global influence more responsibly, warning against using power to incite tensions between nations.
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