KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 ― Malaysia has long been a strong ally of the US under the Barisan Nasional (BN), political analysts reminded Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, adding that such a relationship was vital to help the country grow stronger politically and economically.

The analysts dismissed the former prime minister’s warning yesterday that Malaysia would be “pro-US” if voters opted for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) bloc he leads, saying such remarks were “paranoid” and “unrealistic” in the present global political climate.

“These are paranoid statements coming from someone who has an old, outdated idea of the way the world works,” Wan Saiful Wan Jan told The Malay Mail Online when contacted yesterday.

The chief executive of think tank, Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), pointed to Malaysia’s inclusion in talks with the US and nine other countries since 2010 over the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) that aims to set up a free-trade bloc across a region that makes up nearly 40 per cent of the world’s economy.

“Why is he not commenting on that then?” Wan Saiful asked, of Dr Mahathir.

Critics allege that the TPPA has since been co-opted by powerful corporations to allow them to trample over existing consumer, worker and environmental rights in signatory countries.

Dr Mahathir, a staunch protectionist, has openly criticised the BN government for agreeing to the controversial trade deal, calling the TPPA lopsided and unfavourable to Malaysia.

Merdeka Center director Ibrahim Suffian said that Dr Mahathir’s remarks were political in nature and aimed at garnering support for the BN ahead of the Kajang by-election on March 23.

He told The Malay Mail Online that Malaysia, a small growing nation, cannot afford to be antagonistic towards the US as it needs to maintain good bilateral ties in order to attract foreign direct investments and other business opportunities.

“I feel that it is quite rich, the remarks coming from Dr Mahathir who in the 1980s signed military agreements with the US to purchase helicopters and other forms of military cooperation,” Ibrahim said.

Both Ibrahim and Wan Saiful also disagreed with Dr Mahathir’s view that the US was trying to impose its version of “democracy” and values on countries like Malaysia.

Both analysts said there was no reason why American democratic ideals could not be compatible with Malaysian values.

“I think democratic values are not an absolute skill… there is some latitude in which society can negotiate and find a way to balance democratic values with Islamic ideals,” Ibrahim said.

To Wan Saiful, the concept of democracy is neutral and only becomes value-laden according to a government’s interpretation.

“Democracy is neutral, it allows you to choose what policies you like and what policies you may disagree with,” he said.