MALAYSIA-US ENJOYING WARMER TIES

By Salmy Hashim

WASHINGTON, Feb 28 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and the United States are now enjoying
warmer ties following a shift in the Malaysian foreign policy under the
administration of Najib Razak, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department
Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said.

He said the US government as well as officers, Congress members and
senators, whom he met here, were aware of Malaysia's efforts in enhancing Kuala
Lumpur-Washington ties.

Nazri, who led a group of Malaysian legislators for a five-day visit to the US
from Tuesday, said during the visit he met senior US officials, Congress members
and senators where they discussed issues on export control, Malaysia-US Free
Trade Agreement and counter-terrorism.

In fact, he said, the atmosphere at a meeting with deputy US trade
representative Demetrios Marantis, Senator Kitt Bond and Congress member Eni
Faleomavaega who is also the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on
Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment, "clearly showed that they appreciated
our presence here."

He said the efforts to further enhance Malaysia-US relations had already started
in collaboration with Congress member Faleomavaega and Malaysian Ambassador to
the US Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis.

"God willing, when the prime minister comes here in April, we can re-launch the
Malaysia-US Caucus, which has been in existence for over 10 years.

"The fact that it has not moved speaks volumes of the state of our relations in
the past," he said.

Nazri said the caucus would serve as a platform to further strengthen the ties
between both countries and that through the caucus "we can plan programmes
involving US Congress members and Malaysian members of parliament."

Nazri said he had also invited Maalysia's Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail
and former chief justice Abdul Hamid Mohamed, who is now the Malaysian
Anti-Corruption Commission's Advisory Board chairman, to take part in a seminar
here, themed "Governance and Rule of Law and Malaysian Legislative Initiatives",
organised by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

On claims published by blogs in Malaysia alleging that the government paid US$20
million (RM67.3 million) to Washington lobbyists to clear its image following
the sodomy trial involving opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, Nazri said the
claims were baseless.

Anwar, 63, is charged with sodomising his former aide, at a condominium near
here on June 26, 2008.

"Where does this US$20 million supposed to have come from? This is a wild
allegation and accusation made by the opposition. There is no necessity to clean
Malaysia's image," he said.

Nazri added that the Anwar issue was not mentioned at all during his meetings
with officials, Congress members and senators.

"The Anwar issue only came about during the seminar and it was raised by a
member of a non-governmental organisation.

"I, too, am not interested to talk about the case because it is too small to
affect the relations with the US," he said.
-– BERNAMA