Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad showed little sympathy yesterday for the US Ambassador's complaint about recent 'America-bashing' in Malaysia.
Asked to comment on John Malott's blast at anti-American remarks by the media and government ministers, Dr Mahathir said Malaysians had the right to speak their minds and express their feelings about issues.
Referring to the angry response of Malaysians to a proposed congressional resolution calling on him to apologise for alleged anti-Semitic remarks or resign, Dr Mahathir said it was 'not so easy to switch things off'.
Mr Malott's criticism at a press conference on Monday of the worsening rhetoric in Malaysia was withheld from viewers of television news broadcasts and given low-key coverage in all the newspapers.
Mr Malott said he was concerned about what he was increasingly hearing and reading in Malaysia and the growing tendency to 'blame everything that was happening on foreigners, usually Americans'.
He called for efforts to control the 'ugly atmosphere' which had been generated by the rising tide of anti-Americanism.