Believe me, not rumours: Mahathir
Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has complained that Malaysians listen to rumours from Singapore, but not to him.
He also implied the rumours were aimed at undermining Malaysia's economy to the advantage of Singapore.
The two countries have recently been arguing over traffic jams on the causeway linking Singapore and the southern Malaysian state of Johor, with each government blaming the other.
A rash of rumours circulating in Malaysia and Singapore during the past few days has questioned the health of Dr Mahathir and the Malaysian economy.
'From Singapore you get three rumours a day,' Dr Mahathir said.
'And Malaysians act in full faith on those rumours, but if the Malaysian Prime Minister told them the truth, they would say he is lying.' He said Malaysians did not start rumours about Singapore.
'They only spread rumours about their own country,' he said. 'We are very good at shooting ourselves in the foot.' Dr Mahathir said the rumours might have started in Singapore because Malaysia and the island republic were competing economies.
The Prime Minister said a story circulating on the Internet that he had fainted and could not chair a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday was 'a deliberate lie'.
Dr Mahathir appears to have thrown off the worst of a cold affecting him earlier this week.
He not only chaired the Wednesday Cabinet meeting but also presided at party meetings on Thursday and yesterday to discuss the establishment of a new National Economic Action Council.
He leaves tomorrow for Vancouver to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation summit.
