Mahathir faces trust vote on Wednesday

KUALA LUMPUR, November 16: A Motion of confidence in support of the leadership of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad will be moved on Wednesday, reports on Sunday quoted a minister as saying.

The motion would be tabled by Deputy Premier Anwar Ibrahim in support of the Prime Minister, Information Minister Mohamed Rahmat was quoted as saying.Mohamed, the ruling National Front coalition’s secretary general, added coalition chiefs would meet on Tuesday to register their stand on a draft resolution by 34 United States Congressmen asking Mahathir to apologise or resign over his reported remarks that a Jewish conspiracy was behind the current crisis in Southeast Asia.

Mahathir has denied saying Jews were behind Southeast Asia’s financial crisis. At the same time, he has said that it was a coincidence that US financier George Soros — whom he has repeatedly blamed for triggering speculative attacks on regional currencies — is Jewish. Soros has denied being responsible for Malaysia’s downturn and has accused Mahathir of using him as a scapegoat.