Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad speaks at the ‘Semarak Merdeka’ townhall session in Bandar Hilir, Melaka, August 3, 2019. — Bernama pic

MELAKA, Aug 3 — Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has advised young people in the country to be proud of their Eastern values and way of life and not to be influenced by the Western culture.

Speaking at the “Semarak Merdeka” townhall session to about 500 college students here today, the 94-year-old leader acknowledged that there was this phenomenon of colonisation of minds among young people who were influenced by the culture from the West.

He said Western values have now strayed far from those they once held.

“They create new values of life, which are sometimes totally inappropriate.

“There are some of us who are trapped in this view and if we emulate the Western values, we will once again be ‘colonised’ by the West,” he said.

Citing the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) lifestyle as an example, the prime minister said it was one of the manifestations of freedom in the West.

“Men are married to men, women to women; how can they have children?

“If they do that, I think within 100 years, their race/nation will disappear because they will have no children,” he said and was greeted with laughter from the audience.

Dr Mahathir also shared the importance of politics, which some people including youths considered as dirty.

He said that without political power, Malaysia would not have achieved independence from British occupation.

Dr Mahathir also urged the young people to emulate the attitude of the hardworking and knowledgeable Turkish people, in order to elevate the country into a developed Islamic state.

He said the Turkish people were highly skilled and capable of building fighter jets and drones while its companies were carrying out development projects in neighbouring countries.

“If you look at development in Turkey, it is better than Malaysia, and that development is the result of the Turkish people themselves.

“The younger generation should go to Turkey, learn the Turkish language and work there for 10 years and when they return here, I think there will be changes in Malaysia,” said Dr Mahathir, who went on a working visit to Turkey late last month. — Bernama