Ex-Malaysian leader calls for ban on Halliburton

Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Saturday slammed the government's move to allow U.S. oilfield services provider Halliburton Co. to begin operating in Malaysia, saying the country doesn't need 'blood money.'

'It is appalling that we have allowed this war-profiteering company to invest in Malaysia,' he said in a statement, referring to Halliburton's contracts in Iraq for the U.S. government. 'Are we so void of our humanity that we have to allow these war criminals to come in and thrive in our economy?'