PM seeks to boost 60-year ties with Trump
> Terrorism, Rohingya oppression also among topics to be raised at White House meeting, says envoy to US
WASHINGTON DC: Kuala Lumpur is seeking to further strengthen six decades of bilateral ties with Washington and chart the way forward when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak steps into the Oval Office for talks on Tuesday with United States President Donald Trump.
With all eyes trained on disturbing events in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, the meeting at the White House would be the best opportunity for Malaysia to raise the plight of the Rohingya refugees to the super power, Bernama reported.
These were among the matters cited by Malaysian ambassador to the US, Tan Sri Zulhasnan Rafique, during a media briefing ahead of Najib’s Sept 11-13 working visit to the US at the invitation of Trump.
It will also be a platform for Malaysia to highlight its anti-terrorism stance and the role it plays in efforts to combat the scourge that is equally of concern to like-minded countries such as the US.
“This visit is an avenue for the prime minister to impress upon the US about Malaysia’s importance in the fight against terrorism, as a voice of moderation and pragmatism as well as a dynamic and progressive Muslim-majority (nation).”
He said Najib was expected to bring up the issue of the oppression of the Rohingya community in Myanmar not only in his four-eyed meeting with Trump but also during bilateral talks between the two governments.
Kuala Lumpur views the plight of the Rohingya very seriously and has given a commitment to assist in addressing the refugee crisis that has reportedly caused more than 500,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh, Myanmar’s neighbour in the west.
The visit by Najib makes him the second Southeast Asian leader, after Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, to have a meeting in the White House.
The meeting will be followed by a delegation meeting that will also involve Vice-President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defence James Mattis, White House Chief of Staff Gen John Kelly and National Security Advisor Lt Gen H.R. McMaster.
The Malaysian delegation is expected to include Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman and Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.