Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said while Malaysia regards China as a friend and ithe Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has benefitted the country, it is not for Malaysia to promote Beijing's ideology to our children.

Mahathir said this in reference to attempts to circulate a comic on the BRI by former DAP activist Hew Kuan Yau in schools, which the Education Ministry has put a stop to.

"I believe China will have great influence in future. But for the moment, it is not for us to promote Chinese ideology, but to find out how we can benefit from it...