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Malaysian premier, Bush, to talk of trade and terror
By Anil Netto

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's meeting with US President George W Bush in the Oval Office on Monday was likely to emphasize common positions while attempting to address some prickly issues.

The meeting was likely to focus on bilateral relations and trade, the "war on terrorism", and the Middle East. It was also the first leg of a high-powered trip that will take the Malaysian premier to see French President Jacques Chirac on Wednesday and British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Friday.

But the meeting with Bush, as well as meetings with Chirac and Blair, the three leaders of the five-member United Nations Security Council, assume added significance because Abdullah is more than just the Malaysian premier; Malaysia is currently the chair of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

US focuses on FTAs
Following the collapse of the Cancun World Trade Organization (WTO) talks last September, the US's focus switched to bilateral free-trade agreements (FTAs). The Enterprise for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Initiative (EAI), unveiled the following month, recommended the establishment of Trade Investment Framework Agreements (TIFAs) as a first step in negotiating FTAs for countries that "demonstrate commitment to economic reforms and openness".

The Office of the United States Trade Representative has said it is "aggressively working to open markets globally, regionally, and bilaterally and to expand American opportunities in overseas markets".

In May the United States and Malaysian signed a TIFA, making Malaysia the fifth ASEAN nation to do so. TIFA aims to expand trade and investment, focusing attention on trade barriers that the United States faces and helping to expand US access to Malaysia's markets. Singapore and the United States have already entered into a full FTA, while Thailand has begun formal FTA negotiations with the US.

Malaysia is the US's 10th largest trading partner and is home to US$8.5 billion in US investment. Malaysians consumers buy close to $11 billion in US merchandise and services, which translates to almost 200,000 export-related jobs in the US. In turn, the United States buys more from Malaysia than it does from any other ASEAN country.

At the same time, Abdullah has said, "Malaysia must continue to advocate that the process of globalization should include the prospering and empowerment of the developing countries, not their continued impoverishment and dependence on the wealthy and developed world." Kuala Lumpur also wants to strengthen ties among developing nations to improve their negotiating strength through organizations such as the Group of 77, NAM and the OIC.

Bilateral relations appear to have improved ever since Abdullah Badawi took over the reins from former premier Mahathir Mohamad. "I get the sense that the US administration is enthralled, or at least pleased, with Abdullah," said a Washington-based analyst specializing in Southeast Asian affairs.

She said indications were that US trade and investment funds have begun flowing back to Malaysia at a time when the country badly needs fresh foreign direct investment.

Counter-terrorism cooperation
Last week, the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur announced that Malaysia and the United States would be holding a joint naval and land exercise in the South China Sea aimed at strengthening military ties. The exercise is part of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (Carat) series, held annually by the United States, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore and Brunei.

Malaysia has already set up a Southeast Asian Regional Center for Counter-Terrorism in Kuala Lumpur. The exercise and the new center have received low-profile media coverage in Malaysia, however, as Malaysia has to balance closer ties - especially military cooperation - with the United States with its status as chair of the OIC and NAM. With one eye on Muslim public opinion in the country, Abdullah's administration also cannot afford to be seen working too closely with the US military.

Malaysia is an integral part of ASEAN, which once declared the region to be a "Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality" (ZOPFAN). It is already a member of the Five Power Defense Arrangement (FPDA), a post-colonial military pact originally aimed at deterring the communist threat that groups together Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

A senior opposition politician recently urged the Malaysian government to review the FPDA as well as the US-Malaysian Defense Agreement, signed in 1984 by then-US defense secretary Casper Weinberger and former Malaysian premier Mahathir. Critics have complained that the Malaysian government has refused to disclose the content of the agreement with the United States.

Mention of the Middle East
The meeting with Bush is also expected to touch on Iraq and Palestine. The Bush administration, which regards Malaysia as a successful, moderate Muslim nation, will try to use its links with Malaysia as a bridge to help mend ties with the Muslim world, badly damaged after its heavily criticized invasion and occupation of Iraq. In the past, Abdullah has expressed concern over the increasing prejudice against Muslims worldwide and the growing schism between the Muslim and the Western world.

Malaysia maintains that the United Nations has an important role to play not only in the transition process in Iraq but also in the reconstruction of the country. Abdullah regards Iraq as symptomatic of the prevailing dominance of unilateralism over multilateralism. He views multilateralism, through the UN, as the best option for improving meaningful North-South ties not only for economic and social development but also for securing international peace and security.

As for Palestine, Abdullah is likely to bring up with Bush the International Court of Justice's (ICJs) ruling declaring Israel's West Bank separation wall illegal. The ICJ ruled on July 9 that the wall violates international law and urged the UN to take action to stop its construction. Abdullah believes that Palestine needs a comprehensive and durable solution and that the plight of the Palestinians cannot be ignored if regional and global security is to be achieved.

In discussing terrorism, Abdullah's position is that the international community must agree to identify and define, dispassionately, the root causes of terrorism. According to Abdullah, bringing democracy and good governance alone is not enough; it is also necessary to acknowledge that the methods employed need to be varied to suit the situation in different nations.

Abdullah under fire
The Malaysian premier, however, has come under fire from human rights groups for the continued detention without trial under the Internal Security Act of suspected militants in Malaysia, some of them for more than two years. Malaysian human rights groups have pointed to the US Supreme Court ruling last month that detainees in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, are entitled to challenge their classification as enemy combatants and to contest their detentions in civilian court.

These criticisms have been overlooked by a US administration keen to pursue its "war on terror", apparently at all costs. At a party on July 4 in Kuala Lumpur, the US charge d' affaires noted, "Malaysia shares many democratic principles with the US." Among the special guests in attendance was the deputy Malaysian minister for internal security. But "the irony appeared lost on them," one of those present told Asia Times Online.

In connection with Abdullah's tour this week, Amnesty International has urged the respective host governments, media, and other groups to relay a host of human rights concerns to the premier and his delegation. These concerns include "detention without trial, the risk of ill-treatment and torture, and the politically motivated misuse of laws represented in particular by the cases of former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim and his adopted brother".

Anwar is currently facing the risk of paralysis, from a worsening spinal injury. He is appealing to go to Germany for minimally invasive surgery, but the government has turned him down, arguing that the surgery could be performed locally. Last week, Anwar's wife, Wan Azizah, said she hoped that Bush would highlight Anwar's plight during his discussions with Abdullah.

But the United States is unlikely to risk undermining its warmer ties with Malaysia under the new Abdullah administration by dwelling too much - if at all - on these issues and will probably prefer instead to stick to diplomatic niceties given the "democratic principles" they assert that they share.

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Jul 20, 2004

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