Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad appears to have vented pent-up frustration and fury stemming from events of the past two years in an aggressive address to the United Nations General Assembly.
Following a period during which he has been strongly criticised abroad and forced to defend himself, he has gone on the offensive, attacking Australia over its role in East Timor and telling the world in effect to leave him and Malaysia alone.
His speech included one of the most stinging attacks the outspoken Dr Mahathir has made on the UN, which he accused of practising 'rather unusual principles'.
Dr Mahathir also delivered a strong condemnation of his perennial targets, the United States, currency traders and the International Monetary Fund, together with the related blights of Western capitalism and the Western media. At a press conference, he denounced Australia's 'belligerence' in East Timor.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard told Parliament in Canberra yesterday that he 'categorically' rejected Dr Mahathir's criticism and claimed that Australian forces in East Timor had 'behaved impeccably'.
Mr Howard also added a challenge, pointing out that Malaysia had been offered a leading role in Interfet but had declined to take it.