Economic issues to dominate Dr M's visit to Indonesia

ECONOMIC issues, including ways to strengthen economic recovery and economic reconstruction, will take centre stage during Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad's two-day visit to Indonesia starting today. Indonesia, which was very severely affected by the Asian crisis and had to resort to help from the International Monetary Fund, is keen to learn from Malaysia which devised its own policies. Observers point out that Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid admires "Dr Mahathir's financial independence and standing up to the IMF". Malaysia is not subjected to the severe and punishing conditions that countries, including Indonesia, Thailand and South Korea, have been subjected to,…