PM: M’sia not supplicant to US
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak defended his statement to United States President Donald Trump that Malaysia wanted to help strengthen the US economy and said that Malaysia would not venture into any investment that does not benefit the country.
Najib said his statement made during the meeting at the White House was twisted by irresponsible parties with the aim to confuse the people.
“For example, when I told President Trump: ‘I come here to strengthen the US economy’, I did not mean that we contribute to the US economy without receiving any benefit from it.
“This idea is to show that Malaysia is not a supplicant, but that we come as a successful country that is recognised globally,” he said at a hitea function with Women Journalists Association (Pertama) yesterday.
On the other hand, Najib said that his statement was interpreted in a narrow context despite the real meaning that Malaysia as a successful country could become a significant economic generator to other developed countries.
The prime minister said the government’s decision to buy new Boeing aircraft for Malaysia Airlines (MAS) was also twisted by the Opposition although it is an investment to make MAS a renowned airline.
“That’s why I said we want to buy aircraft. MAS chose to buy the most sophisticated plane, eight Dreamliners. Yesterday I read online that Turkish Airlines bought 40 Dreamliners. This aircraft will be good to advance our aviation industry. They shouldn’t resort to myopic views when it is only our intention to place Malaysia on the international stage,” he added.
During his visit to the White House on September 13, Najib said the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and Khazanah Nasional Bhd had planned to expand their investments in the US.
The EPF alone is expected to invest between US$3 billion and US$4 billion (RM12 billion and RM16 billion).
Explaining the purchase of Boeing aircraft, Najib said the move was necessary in making Malaysia Airlines the best international airline in the world.
He urged media practitioners to be quick to counter false news spread on the social media aimed at inciting the people to hate the government, including the statement during the meeting between him and Trump recently.
He also said that the visit was historic as he was the first Malaysian Prime Minister to have received an invitation from the White House during the US President’s first year in office.
On another note, Najib said the government appreciate the role of female media practitioners in national development as they play an important role to give a clear understanding of government policies. Najib praised the achievements of the country’s women and described them as incredible for making good progress in male dominated areas such as nuclear science, medical science and the oil and gas industry.
He cited two examples, namely Professor Emeritus Dr Mazlan Othman, who was the director of United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna, Austria, and Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood, the under secretary-general for partnerships at International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
“With these achievements, I am confident that the aspirations of National Transformation 2050 (TN50) will be achieved with women having a par excellent mind with the natural trait to achieve more progress.”
Najib said that he would consider to provide funding to Pertama for its activities but he did not state the amount of funding.