Amber Chye, Kuala Lumpur
Hilary Clinton, the US State Secretary whose political future in the US is in doubt, is visiting Malaysia on the 29th of this month, which is this Friday. She is scheduled to have talks with a number of Malaysian officials, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
On the Clinton agenda will be the 'roping' of Malaysia's government as an ally that would support America's policies in the South East Asian territory. There is no doubt that the Americans are looking for total support from the Malaysians. The question to ask is total support for what? Is there not enough business deals between the Americans and the Malaysian nation? Is the US not the biggest trading partner of Malaysia?
One issue that could be discussed is Nuclear energy. Malaysia has already made it clear it will work with the US if it were to start a nuclear plant that may cost Rm13 billion. The only major problem the Malaysian authorities are facing is where to put such a plant since there seem to be no suitable places for a nuclear plant. Not in Selangor anyway which is a state run by the opposition and one can forget the other states run by the opposition, including Perak which is in limbo.
Pahang or Johor could be the two states that could see the implementation of the nuclear project if Malaysia and the US are to work together on an accord that would satisfy both nations. The US would surely want enough security and guarantee from Malaysia that it will not help in the 'proliferation' of nuclear technology. The Malaysian nation has a dark past in this matter, being accused by the US and some watchdogs of attempts at exporting 'nuclear' parts made in Malaysia to nations that are on the American nuclear watch list.
A foreign businessman was arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for allegedly attempting at exporting nuclear parts – mainly centrifuges it is said – to Libya and these parts could easily have been directed towards North Korea or Iran in the past. The parts were seized by the Americans and the supposed plot was thus crushed in the bud. Malaysia had a bad name for this episode with then Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi taking the blame for allowing such an incident to happen.
We know that the US has agreed in principle that Malaysia will have its own nuclear plants to be used for peaceful purposes. The Najib Tun Razak administration at Putra Jaya has gone to great length to please the Barack Obama administration in Washington, even almost crash-gating the White House to have a million dollar 'photo' shoot with the American president. During their meeting, the Malaysian premier bowed to Obama's demands for Malaysia to kowtow the US in Afghanistan and in its overall Asian policy. Malaysia has indeed agreed to supply troops to Afghanistan – be they medics or logistic support troops – where the US is fighting an almost illegal war in the Muslim country.
Malaysia has also agreed that it will follow the US on Myanmar – thus breaking-away from the ASEAN principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of member states.
With this, Malaysia has also agreed that it will close its eyes on the US marines involvement in the Southern Philippines where American troops are helping the Philippines army hunt down suspected – they are only suspected – terrorists.
Henceforth, it must be said that the Americans has already imposed itself on a country that was known for its resilience to bend to the American needs and was more or less reserved in supporting the US outright in its Asian policies. Malaysia was always interested in the money making opportunities, such as FDI and other investment opportunities from the US, but the wheels have changed upon the orders from Washington and today Malaysia is becoming a partner in the 'global' mission of the US. A global mission of dominating the poor nations and of subjugating the rest of the world to America's demands.
Gone are the days of Tun Mahathir Mohamad who was once the most ardent critic of the US and its foreign policies. Welcome the era of greater cooperation between the Americans and the Malaysians, cooperation such as the one we are seeing in Afghanistan where the at least 40 armed forces personnel of Malaysia are helping the 'ISAF' or Nato in 'establishing' peace in Afghanistan. A mission which we all know is doomed to fail as it involves taking up arms against the Taliban if the Malaysians are under fire!
