KUALA LUMPUR: Nervine Ahmad is angry. Her frustration over the Rafik Hariri UN-Habitat Memorial Award going to former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed is the cause. She said that he is anti-reform and anti-freedom of speech and called on the organization to rethink their decision. “He has said repeatedly that protesting is wrong, called for the government to crackdown on demonstrations, not to reform and he most recently said gay people are not even real people, so how could a UN award go to hi?” she asked Bikyamasr.com. “As someone who participated in the Bersih demonstrations in April, I find this insulting,” she said, referring to the massive protests calling for reform in Malaysia last April 28. But the award's committee announced Mahathir's award last week after an international jury chose the former Malaysian strongman over 13 other nominees from countries like Dubai, Saudi Arabia, United States, India, the United Kingdom, Japan and the Philippines. Mahathir will be honored in a ceremony in New York on September 28, said a statement. UN-Habitat Scientific Adviser Professor Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka said: “Malaysia saw considerable economic progress during Dr. Mahathir's time. “It is recognized that he significantly influenced other developing countries about how it is possible to develop in a very rapid way in a very short time.” The chairperson of the international jury, Mervat Tallawy, added: “The per capita income in Malaysia increased 8 times during his time. “The model of thinking to get out of problems and crisis was almost the same as that of Rafik Hariri.” Nazek Rafik Hariri, the wife of the late Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, said that her husband had visited Malaysia several times when he was in office. “My husband was very impressed with the achievements of Dr Mahathir. Their relationship was based on the shared interests of building confidence and economic success for their respective nations,” said Nazek, who is the president of the Rafik Hariri Foundation. While activists do not deny that Mahathir had an instrumental part in Malaysia's development, they argue that he has outlived his time and should go into full retirement. “He doesn't understand what is needed right now. We can have both rights and economic development,” said another activist, who asked not to be named due to the security situation facing some protesters. “We are a strong and proud country, but this is just wrong. Do they not read what this man has said recently?” he asked.
