MALAYSIA SHOULD BE WELL-PLACED IN THE NEXT UNITED STATES ADMINISTRATION

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 (Bernama) -- Malaysia could serve as an example and model of the type of Islamic country the United States of America wishes to demonstrate in the future, said former US ambassador to the European Union Stuart E. Eizenstat.

Eizenstat, an influential figure in the US politics and likely to be a
senior advisor to the new US administration, said Malaysia could strengthen the
already strong relationship with the US, and should be well-placed to be be a
significant partner with the next US administration.

"The US and Malaysia cooperate closely on security matters, in ways that
the new administration will surely appreciate, including counter-terrorism,
maritime domain awareness and regional stability," he said in a forum,
'US-Malaysia Relations Under the New US Administration', organised by the
Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia here
Friday.

He said Malaysia could also be a leading voice for a growing chorus of
moderation, focused on economic growth and integration into the world
economy.

"Fortunately for Malaysia, through good economic management by former prime
minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and current Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi,
Malaysia, like much of Asia, is in a much better position to
weather the American economic storm," he said.

Eizenstat, who held many key senior positions in three US administrations
during a decade and a half, also lauded the positive move by Abdullah, with the
proposal to create an anti-corruption agency, modelled after the effective one
in Hong Kong.

The former chief White House domestic policy adviser to then-President
Jimmy Carter and Deputy Secretary of the Treasury in the Bill Clinton
administration, said new US foreign policy would emphasise on positive focus on
multilateral cooperation.

In summary, Eizenstat believed that the new Barack Obama-Joe Biden
administration would bring in a fresh foreign policy approach which would engage
the Islamic world in a positive way, while continuing to fight terrorism.

The foreign policy would also strengthen US-Malaysian economic relations,
would stress closer ties with Asean and Apec, issues of poverty reduction, debt
relief and worlwide education which commensurate the policies in Malaysia, he
said.

Meanwhile, in a question-and-answer session moderated by ISIS chairman and
chief executive officer Mohamad Jawhar Hassan, Eizenstat said the
reason why Malaysia should be a model was because in the Muslim world, Malaysia
was recognised as a moderate Islamic country.

He said the current prime minister's (Abdullah) concept of Islam Hadhari,
cooperation with the US in combating terrorism, fight against corruption and
judicial independence had all indicated it.

"No country is perfect and the same goes for Malaysia. The question is that
whether the perfection is worked on. As long as we recognise the problem and
correct it, we will be ok," he added.