Archive for category Foreign
Injecting Reason Back Into Indonesia-Malaysia Relations
Posted by Kit in Farish Noor, Foreign on Thursday, 10 September 2009
By Farish A. Noor
It would appear as if Reason and Rationality have gone on holiday in Southeast Asia recently: In Malaysia a group of angry residents who wished to protest against the construction of a Hindu temple in their neighborhood decided to demonstrate their anger by marching to the government offices in Selangor with a severed cow’s head, a gesture that was guaranteed to offend the sensibility of pious Hindus who regard the cow as a sacred animal. In Indonesia a misunderstanding over a tourism ad commissioned from a non-Malaysian company has angered scores of Indonesians, simply because it mistakenly featured a scene from a Balinese pendet dance which the Indonesians regard as being exclusively theirs: The net result being a new round of anti-Malaysian protests leading to local vigilante groups harrassing tourists in Jakarta and going out into the streets to ‘sweep’ the country of Malaysians.
In both Malaysia and Indonesia, tempers seem to be rising out of control and for all the wrong reasons. Making matters worse is the fact that in both countries these mob actions are neither accidental nor unavoidable. Mobs do not form themselves and move into the streets for no reason; vigilante groups do not miraculously form themselves out of this air without funding and political support.
Read the rest of this entry »
Umno must abandon old politics and work together with Singapore to bring about prosperity and progress for Malaysia and Singapore
Posted by Kit in Dr. Chen Man Hin, Economics, Foreign, UMNO on Thursday, 18 June 2009
By Dr Chen Man Hin, DAP Life Advisor
PM Najib wants more development for Johore and Malaysia by improving relationships with Singapore. His proposal to build a third bridge to link South East Johore with Changi of Singapore was meant to bring economic development for South East Johore and Singapore.
Umno insisted that selling land to Singapore was akin to giving up Malaysia’s sovereignty. This is ridiculous.
Umno should be aware that large quantities of sand and quarry stone have been sold to Singapore for many years. Yet we have not lost our sovereignty.
Umno must realise that the rural population of South Johore – in particular both South East and South West Johore are still quite poor Read the rest of this entry »
Policy changes to be made to expand and strengthen Malaysian-China relationship
Posted by Kit in Dr. Chen Man Hin, Foreign on Monday, 1 June 2009
By Dr Chen Man Hin, DAP Life advisor
From a poor communist country has been transformed into the fourth richest country in the world after USA, Japan and Germany, the man who started the phenomenal change was Deng Xiao Peng who introduced liberal and modernisation policies.
Although it still keep its communist ideology, China now intend to be friends with the whole world. She has won friends with the West, the developed countries and has given large financial handouts to the poor countries of the world. Her diplomacy offensive as a friend of the world has won tremendous appeal.
Malaysia ostensibly also adopt a policy of being a friend to the whole world, and PM Najib’s visit to China tomorrow is meant to expand and strengthen Malaysia-China relationship.
Read the rest of this entry »
Why JJ not suitable to be the Malaysian voice in Washington
Letters
by Patriot
Re your blog entitled “Malaysian Ambassador to US – why Ghazzali and JJ on the short-list?”, some additional information that may be handy:
JJ was sent to DC by the Prime Minister to join Anifah during the visit. This is tantamount to Anifah being shadowed by a trusted crony.
However, Anifah did NOT include JJ among those attending the meeting with Hilary Clinton – this suggests that Anifah did not wish to be overshadowed.
While Anifah’s attack on Anwar at the Press Conference was puzzling, it is likely that he was egged on by JJ.
JJ ‘s actions are consistent with his previous track record and lends support to the view that JJ’s primary task as Ambassador in Washington will be to smear Anwar in Washington as the show trial moves forward. Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysian Ambassador to US – why Ghazzali and JJ on the short-list?
Foreign Minister Datuk Anifah Aman told the Sunday Star yesterday that former Ambassador to the United States 1999 – 2005, Tan Sri Ghazzali Sheikh Abdul Khalid is among the four persons being considered for the plum post of ambassador to the United States.
Anifah, who said he would submit the shortlist to the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak within a week, expressed “shock” that the Washington posting had not been filled for about a year when the US is the country’s biggest trading partner.
In announcing that Ghazzali is in the short-list of four persons for the top-notch dipolomatic posting to be submitted to the Prime Minister, Anifah has gone against his public claim that he would get the best people to serve the country in the various diplomatic postings abroad.
Anifah cannot be so naïve as not to know the reason why the post of Malaysian Ambassador to the US had been vacant since June 20 last year after the retirement of Datuk Rajmah Hussain, a career diplomat, or he is casting aspersion on the competence and professionalism of his predecessor as Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Rais Yatim. Read the rest of this entry »
Is JJ the best choice for the plum appointment of Malaysian Ambassador to the US?
Posted by Kit in Foreign, Najib Razak on Sunday, 17 May 2009
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should explain whether Datuk Seri Jamaludin Jarjis is the best choice for the plum appointment of Malaysian Ambassador to the United States.
Would Jamaludin be representing the interests of Malaysia or just Najib Razak, which are two completely different agendas.
The Malaysian Insider reported early this month that Jamaludin’s appointment has been submitted to the Obama administration and is being vetted by the US State Department.
News of Jamaludin’s appointment as Malaysian Ambassador to the United States has created not only general public concern but raised the eyebrows of many in the establishment, whether political or the civil service.
The first question is how a politician who was finally dropped from the first Najib Cabinet because of his highly controversial record could be deemed to be appropriate and suitable for the choice overseas appointment as the nation’s Ambassador to the US? Read the rest of this entry »
Do the Batik Walk, Mr. Obama
Posted by Kit in Farish Noor, Foreign on Thursday, 22 January 2009
By Farish A. Noor
With the hopes of the world apparently pinned upon his shoulders, Barrack Obama will have a lot of things on his mind in the months and years to come for certain. The news that the interrogations at Guantanamo Bay might be suspended for a period of 120 days already sends out the right signals that the man intends to deliver upon his promises, and that cannot be a bad thing for anyone for what was promised was a new America that should play a humbler, moderating role in world affairs.
But let us be somewhat circumspect and realistic in our expectations for now. While many of us would like to see the man succeed, Barrack Obama is just another American President who has – for now – served us a tantalising wish-list that as sweet as it is appealing to many.
But we have also had our share of American Presidents who spoke at length about the promotion of human rights and democracy across the world, only to have our hopes dashed on the hard rocks of realpolitik when it became painfully evident that their focus was more on the Soviet bloc and the enemies of the United States.
Jimmy Carter got the ball rolling after the Helsinki accord of 1975 when he spoke of America’s mission to rid the world of authoritarianism and despotic rule; but it was the same administration that did little to help the people of Indonesia and the Philippines as they lived under the heels of two of the most corrupt and authoritarian pro-American despots, Ferdinand Marcos and General Suharto.
So let us see whether Obama can actually deliver on what he has promised, and let us keep our fingers crossed that he will not turn into another froth-producing American leader who is long on rhetoric but pitifully short on substance. Read the rest of this entry »
Gaza: Terrorising the Victims through the ‘War on Terror’
Posted by Kit in Farish Noor, Foreign on Tuesday, 6 January 2009
By Farish A. Noor
That the discourse of the ‘War on Terror’ is a terribly useful one for governments that wish to exteriorise, dehumanise and brutalise an enemy is a foregone conclusion for many of us by now. Since the day when the term was first coined by the administration of President Bush Junior, it has made its rounds all over the planet and has been seized upon with gusto and delight by many an authoritarian regime seeking a pretext to detain and eliminate their enemies. Til today we do not have a tally of the figures of those who have been summarily arrested, detained without trial, tortured and ‘disappeared’ as a result of this War on Terror which, as any linguist will tell you, doesn’t even signify anything meaningful in the first place.
The current onslaught on Gaza is proof of the utility of such a discourse when it falls into the hands of those currying favour with the Washington administration – and here it doesn’t really matter if the man sitting in the oval office is Bush Junior or Mr Obama. Israel’s relentless attacks on the Palestinians has been couched and justified as part of the global war effort against terrorism, and as a result the Palestinians have in toto been summarily labelled as terrorists who, by extension, deserve neither mercy nor understanding.
Even more worrying still is the manner in which the metanarrative of the war on terror has been appropriated by other countries and governments that are likewise in a bellicose mood and warlike demeanour. The mainstream media in India, for instance, have likewise hopped on to the anti-terror bandwagon and have taken to it like a duck to water. In the wake of the Mumbai attacks – which were indeed an instance of terrorism at work – the right-wing parties and political demagogues of India’s hard-right have upped the ante even further calling on the Indian government and armed forces to ‘do a Gaza’ on Pakistan next door. Read the rest of this entry »
Israeli invasion of Gaza – crime against humanity
The United Nations Secretary-General Bank Ki-moon must spearhead the world condemnation of Israeli invasion of Gaza.
The failure of the United Nations Security Council to call for an immediate ceasefire and the role of the United States government in blocking a United Nations Security Council ceasefire resolution must be deplored by all peace-loving nations and peoples.
The United States President-Elect Barrack Obama, who will be inaugurated as US President in a forthnight’s time, should pledge to end all US carte blache support to Israeli aggression under his administration.
The Israeli invasion of Gaza, wreaking death and destruction, chalking up a death toll of more than 510 people, mostly civilian casualties including women and children, is a crime against humanity.
Gaza is one of the most densely populated areas on the planet with roughly 1.5 million people which even prior to the most recent escalation was undergoing a humanitarian crisis as the region has been held under siege for almost 18 months and was already struggling with lack of food, medical supplies, power, and other necessities. Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysia in vortex of “Embassy Row” in Washington
Washington Times
Embassy Row
James Morrison
Thursday, December 11, 2008
MALAYSIAN CONTROVERSY
Malaysian political insiders are aghast over reports that a former ambassador to the United States is lobbying to regain his old position in Washington and hoping to win diplomatic approval quietly from the outgoing Bush administration to avoid scrutiny from the Obama White House.
Abdul Khalid Ghazzali, ambassador here from 1999 to 2006, left Washington under a cloud because of his connections to former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who pleaded guilty to corruption charges a few months before Mr. Ghazzali returned to Malaysia and resigned from the foreign service.
The controversy erupted in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, after the Web blog, Malaysia Today, recently reported that Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi planned to reappoint Mr. Ghazzali. Members of Parliament later raised questions about the reports. A spokesman for the Malaysian Embassy in Washington said the government has made “no formal announcement” about a new ambassador. Read the rest of this entry »
A New America? Lets Shut Guantanamo First, Please.
Posted by Kit in Farish Noor, Foreign on Thursday, 6 November 2008
By Farish A. Noor
Needless to say, the news that Barrack Obama has become the new President of the United States of America has spread worldwide and already the world rejoices over the timely demise of the Neo-Con empire of Bush and company. In Asia in particular the news of Obama’s victory has been greeted with a collective sigh of relief, and genuine jubilation in places like Indonesia for the Indonesians have claimed Obama as one of their own, no less. Time will tell if this historic sea change in American politics is indeed historic, but for now we can at least recover some meaningful respite from the simple fact that momentarily at least America’s vast arsenal of destruction has been laid to rest. But for how long?
Obama’s campaign was, from the outset, driven by a simple message that nonetheless resonated with a vast cross-section of American society: The time has come for change. The old crumbling power structures that has for so long been dominated by the same incestuous community of white, upper middle class, elite men whose genealogies date back to the founding fathers of America seems to have been opened up for a while, allowing for this rupture in the collective imaginary of the American people and forcing all of us to question some of the settled assumptions that have guided our understanding of America for perhaps too long.
But before we all don our rose-tinted glasses and celebrate a second Woodstock, let us pause for a moment and consider the hurdles and obstacles that will have to be overcome by Obama and the American people before we can utter the phrase ‘change has come’ with due and warranted confidence. Those of us who reside in Asia would have our own set of questions that ought to be put before the latest resident of the White House, and there are lingering dilemmas and quandries that need to be laid to rest before we herald the coming of a new order. Read the rest of this entry »
Abdullah should direct the 54 BN MPs to cut short their “blur blur” agriculture study tour of Taiwan
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Anwar Ibrahim, Foreign, Politics on Wednesday, 10 September 2008
Malaysia’s image and international standing are trampled upon and “rubbished” by the 54 Barisan Nasional MPs currently on a “blur blur” agriculture study tour of Taiwan as they are been tracked by the Taiwan print and electronic media as if they are bizarre or exotic creatures from a strange land if not from another planet.
Instead of conducting themselves as proud elected representatives of a nation held in high esteem in international circles, the 54 BN MPs are caught in a hide-and-seek with journalists as if they are fugitives from justice or agents of rogue nations as they are unable to give a honest and honourable explanation of the real purpose and reason for their sudden trip to Taiwan.
A Guang Ming Daily columnist has rightly coined the phrase “mong cha-cha” or “blur blur” tour to describe BN MPs junket to Taiwan, for the BN MPs were in a “blur” when summoned by SMS to submit their passports for the “trip to nowhere” as the country destination was not known and undecided, “blur” when they boarded the flight and continue to be “blur” when they landed in Taiwan.
The 54 BN MPs know that they have become a laughing stock in Taiwan and a standing joke wherever they go in the island republic. As a result, they cannot hold their heads high when appearing in public in Taiwan.
Lessons from the rise and fall of Suharto
Posted by Kit in Farish Noor, Foreign on Wednesday, 30 January 2008
By Farish A. Noor
The verdict of history is still not out yet following the demise of General-turned-President Suharto. For all his achievements in putting his country on the map and leading Indonesia towards industrial development, Suharto’s human rights record remains one of the bloodiest in the post-colonial history of Southeast Asia, matched only by that of Ferdinand Marcos, who was likewise one of the great strongmen of Asia.
Suharto presided over one of the most spectacular socio-economic transformations in Asia of the 20th century: His nation of more than two hundred million souls was transformed over a period of three decades from a faltering post-colonial economy on the verge of bankruptcy to becoming one of the most attractive destinations for foreign capital investment. Yet the social and economic costs were high: Indonesia was sold as a source of cheap human labour and natural resources, to be exploited and plundered by foreign multinationals as never before. During this period normal political activity in the country came to a standstill; political parties were either disbanded or forced to merge; political dissidents were routinely harassed, silence and incarcerated, with hundreds more liquidated at will by the armed forces and security agencies of the state. The Indonesian press was stifled; students told not to enter the arena of politics; feudal structures were reinforced; while corruption was allowed to run rampant.
Even after he was deposed in May 1998 Suharto left office as one of the most corrupt leaders of the Third World, amassing wealth to the tune of billions of dollars that had been expatriated to foreign banks. Until today there is still no accounting of the exact extent and magnitude of his and his family’s corruption; and their collusion with the forces of capital and the army that kept this entire system of patronage and state violence intact for so long.
There are, however, some important lessons to be learned from this complex and often painful – and extended – episode of Indonesian history: Read the rest of this entry »
Obituary – Suharto
Posted by Kit in Farish Noor, Foreign on Monday, 28 January 2008
The ‘Father’of Indonesia
Former General and President Suharto
(b. 1921 – d. 2008)
by Farish Noor
A couple of years ago, during a visit to the Central Javanese city of Jogjakarta that had been devastated by a major earthquake which had laid waste to many parts of the special province, I overheard a conversation between two Indonesians who were lamenting the fate of their country with its ruined economy, enduring military control, civil strife and the rising spectre of religious militancy. One of them said to his sorrowful friend: “brother, you are suffering from SARS – Sindrom Aku Rindu Suharto (‘I Miss Suharto Syndrome’)”.
That some Indonesians can still look back to the Suharto era with fondness speaks volumes about the manifold achievements of the man, who lived in an age of great politics – as nothing could be greater than the two world wars and the Cold War of the 20th century – which in turn gave rise to the era of great leaders. Suharto, whose quiet death stood in bold contrast to the spectacular age he lived in and the life he led, was one such man; and like all great men his achievements as well as his mistakes, of which there were many, can only be measured in similarly hyperbolic and magnified terms.
To some (and in this case we are talking about millions of loyal followers and admirers who til today regard him as ‘Pak’ (Father) Harto) he was the man who rescued Indonesia from the teetering and ailing democracy of Sukarno, saved Indonesia from the menace of Communism, and finally brought the country into the modern age and the globalised world economy. To as many detractors, he was the American puppet-crony who sold the Indonesian economy to foreign interests, destroyed what little remained of Indonesia’s protective barriers that insulated its fledgling local industry, persecuted the country’s intellectuals, students, workers and dissidents and was primarily responsible for the deaths, torture and disappearances of half a million alleged Communists in 1965 and a quarter of a million of Timorese after the violent annexation of East Timor in 1974. Mediocre dictators are seldom accused of the deaths of millions, and in this respect Suharto was far from ordinary and he ruled over a country that is as great as it is complex. Read the rest of this entry »
Hindraf demo – Indian Parliament in uproar over Nazri’s outburst
Posted by Kit in Foreign, Human Rights, Indians, nation building on Friday, 30 November 2007
Malaysian Ministers must get rid of the “frog in coconut shell” mentality and learn the first basic rule of global society — we must accept and withstand international scrutiny of national policies in the same way Malaysian leaders castigate injustices of other countries like the Palestinian and Iraq issues.
Only yesterday, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi spoke up for the Palestinians and criticized oppressive Israeli policies — and rightly so. Similarly, with the frequent Malaysian government criticisms of United States policy in Iraq.
However, Malaysian leaders cannot demand double-standards in international society where they exercise the right to criticize unfair policies of foreign governments like the hot-button Palestinian and Iraq issues and yet claim the privilege of being spared from international scrutiny by foreign governments and leaders on Malaysian events and developments.
This is why the outburst of the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz on Wednesday telling off the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi to “butt out” and not to interfere in Malaysian internal affairs for the Tamil Nadu leader’s comments on Sunday’s Hindraf demonstration is so ridiculous and out-of-place, as if the Malaysian government is insisting on the unilateral special rights of not being subject to any international scrutiny for its national policies while enjoying the liberty to speak out against international injustices like those affecting the Palestinians and Iraqis. Read the rest of this entry »
Just imagine that…
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Foreign, Merdeka 50th anniversary on Saturday, 1 September 2007
August 31, 2007
Malaysian PM Very Constructive Force For Region, Says Bush
By Salmy Hashim
WASHINGTON, Aug 31 (Bernama) — President George W. Bush has described Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s leadership as a very constructive force for Southeast Asia.
He said Malaysia was an interesting example of how a free society could deal with movements that could conceivably change and alter the nature of the free society.
“I respect the way the prime minister has used freedom and the openness of society to deal with frustration. I mean, all societies have frustrated people. The question is will the outlet of that frustration lead to violence or peace,” Bush said in a rare roundtable Thursday with five journalists from Asia Pacific, including Bernama.
“Malaysia is an example of a country where frustrations have been channelled in a positive way.
“I respect Prime Minister Badawi, admire his leadership,” Bush, who met Abdullah at the White House in 2004, said when commenting on Abdullah’s leadership in handling extremism and terrorism in the country.
Abdullah is a proponent for moderation, advocating Islam Hadhari (Civilisational Islam) in Malaysia and everywhere he goes.
The camaraderie between the two leaders could be seen when the president said: “When his wife (the late Datin Seri Endon Mahmood) died, I tried to call him early just to let him know I cared about him.”
When told that Abdullah had remarried, Bush appeared surprised and said: “Has he? Good. I’ll congratulate him. Thanks for giving me that heads-up. I’m going to congratulate him. That’s neat.
When told by his aide that he did congratulate the prime minister, Bush laughed at his memory lapse and said: “Exactly. I’m going to congratulate him again. I’ll double the congratulations.”
He later admitted that he forgot and asked his aide whether he had called or written a note to the prime minister. He was told that he had written a note.
“That’s right, yes. (I also) sent him a couple of flowers,” Bush said. Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysia’s axis mysteriously shifting
By Ioannis Gatsiounis
Asia Times Online
KUALA LUMPUR – When Abdullah Badawi became Malaysia’s prime minister in 2003, many thought the mild-mannered leader would take a more moderate approach to international relations than his prickly predecessor Mahathir Mohamad, who often locked diplomatic horns with the United States and other Western countries.
But a string of scandals and crimes with international dimensions, some even linked to Abdullah’s family members, have put his government’s relations with Washington on an uncomfortable footing.
US authorities last month arrested and charged Pakistani national Jilani Humayun for his alleged role in shipping contraband military goods to Malaysia, from where they were re-exported to Iran. He was also charged with conspiracy to commit money-laundering and mail fraud. The sensitive dual-use hardware, which was funneled through an as yet unnamed Malaysian company, included parts for F-5 and F-14 fighter jets and Chinook helicopters.
In April the US imposed sanctions on 14 companies, individuals and government agencies it accused of dealing in advanced weapon technology with Iran or Syria. Two of the companies listed were Malaysian, the Challenger Corp and Target Airfreight.
Moreover, a federal jury in New York last year convicted Singaporean businessman Ernest Koh Chong Tek of smuggling dual-use US military parts to Malaysia for transshipment to Iran’s military – a violation of the 1995 embargo the US placed on all exports and re-exports of commodities to Iran without approval by the US Office of Foreign Asset Control. He was also charged with laundering millions of dollars through his Singapore bank accounts in the smuggling scheme. Read the rest of this entry »
PSC on International Affairs to support Rais’ candidature as Commonwealth SG
An all-party Parliamentary Select Committee on International Affairs should be formed when Parliament meets next week which should have as its first task the lobby for support of other Commonwealth Parliaments for the appointment of Datuk Dr. Rais Yatim as the next Commonwealth Secretary-General.
At the April meeting of Parliament, I had first raised the issue of a Malaysian candidate for the post for Commonwealth Secretary-General to replace the incumbent Donald C. McKinnon, whose term ends in March next year.
Although two contenders have been announced before Malaysia declared its candidacy, namely Maltese Foreign Minister Michael Frendo and Indian diplomat Kamlesh Sharma, it will basically be a two-horse race for the leadership of the 53-nation organization in view of the general understanding that it’s Asia’s turn to hold the post.
The previous Commonwealth secretary-generals have come from other regions, viz:
1. Arnold Smith (Canada) 1965 — 1975. (10 yrs)
2. Shridath Ramphal (Guyana) 1975 — 1990. (15 yrs)
3. Chief Emeka Anyaoku (Nigeria) 1990 — 1999. (9 yrs)
4. Don McKinnon (New Zealand) 1999 — 2007. (9 years)
The appointment of Rais as Commonwealth Secretary-General will not only be an international credit for Malaysia, but will be good for the country’s future as a full player on the global stage, whether on the great issues of war and peace, democracy, human rights, inter-civilisational and inter-religious dialogue, development or environment. Read the rest of this entry »
Lobby for a Malaysian to be next Commonwealth Secretary-General
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has realized the urgency of deciding whether Malaysia is interested in offering a candidate for the Commonwealth secretary-general post.
He said in Windhoek that Malaysia should not repeat an earlier case where it could not decide if it was interested in the chair of the Organisation of Islamic Conference, resulting in the country not getting all the support because other countries had already made up their decision on other candidates.
I do not know whether Abdullah had been misreported and he was referring to the defeat of the Malaysian candidate for the post of Secretary-General of Organisation of Islamic Conference in June 2004, with the Turkish nominee appointed to head the secretariat.
When I first raised the issue in Parliament last week of a Malaysian candidate for the post for Commonwealth Secretary-General to replace the incumbent Donald C. McKinnon, the Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar admitted Wismaputra paralysis on the matter as it does not have a suitable name to be put forward as Tun Musa Hitam was not interested.
Is Malaysia so scarce of qualified, competent and calibre material to be put forward for the post of Commonwealth Secretary-General, when Malaysia can chair the OIC and Non-Aligned Movement?
Are we so lacking in confidence in the capabilities and qualifications of Malaysians to helm international organizations like the Commonwealth?
Having lost out once in putting forth a candidate for OIC, are we now afraid of another international rebuff in lobbying for a Malaysian to be the next Commonwealth Secretary-General? Read the rest of this entry »