for the last 50 years , No American President show any interest in Malaysia, Barack Obama came to visit Malaysia twice in 2 year in the row. New interest?
Whats is there about Malaysia attracted the most powerful leader in the world?
MY370, MH 17, TPPA, China fake island , SULU, ISIS, ANWAR IBRAHIM , WW 3 ?
There must be something very important that bring the superpower President to this region twice. What possibly it was?
What his topic of discussion with Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak?
About anwar ? corruption?
Whats is there about Malaysia attracted the most powerful leader in the world?
MY370, MH 17, TPPA, China fake island , SULU, ISIS, ANWAR IBRAHIM , WW 3 ?
There must be something very important that bring the superpower President to this region twice. What possibly it was?
What his topic of discussion with Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak?
About anwar ? corruption?
US president Barack Obama is scheduled to arrive this afternoon for his second visit to Malaysia, in which he is expected to raise important issues on bilateral cooperation, the status of the Opposition, respect for human rights, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).
Obama is joining leaders of the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) for a weekend summit.
Leaders from eight other countries with close partnerships with the grouping - Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea and the United States - will also attend the meetings starting on Saturday.
Earlier this month, Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican had denied claims that the visit by Obama here is to put pressure on Malaysia to sign the TPPA.
He said Obama's visit here was not intended to put pressure on any agreement for the purchase of aircraft or arms.
Envoy: Two visits by Obama show warming ties between US, Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 — US President Barack Obama's second visit to Malaysia in quick succession was “unusual” and an indication of strengthening cooperation between the two nations, said US Ambassador to Malaysia Joseph Y Yun today.
Describing it as an honour for his embassy to host Obama again so soon since his previous visit in 2014, Yun said it was also a measure of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s able administration of Malaysia.
“That (Obama's visit) does reflect the amount of progress we have made on the two governments under the very capable leadership of the DPM and, of course, the PM,” he told reporters in a press conference after signing a crime prevention agreement with Malaysia today.
Obama is expected to arrive in Malaysia tomorrow to attend the Asean Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) here.
He is scheduled to be here through the weekend and deliver an address during the summit that will attended by leaders and ministers across the region.
He last visited Malaysia in April 2014, making him the first US president to do so since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966.
Obama Ends Asian Summit With Focus On Counterterrorism
Saturday, 21 November 2015
US and Malaysia to work together to combat extremism in the region
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and the United States have agreed to work closely together to make this region safe with President Barack Obama and Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak sharing similar views on combating violence and terrorism.
“This region is not immune to threats or violence. There are groups here that have announced that they are aligned to the Islamic State. Malaysia’s stand on this is clear. We don’t condone IS, we are against IS and what it stands for,” Najib said after the two leaders met for an hour here.
The Prime Minister said Malaysia would work together with the United States and “other like-minded countries” to combat any form of violence and extremism in the region.
Malaysia, he said, would set up a messaging centre to counter terrorism online and would present counter narratives that reflect the true meaning of Islam.
Najib said both he and Obama shared similar positions as far as combating violence and terrorism was concerned.
To this, Obama commended Malaysia’s willingness to host the centre that would use various tools including social media and engagement with scholars and clerics to counter IS.
The bilateral meeting also saw discussions centring around the need to respect international law in resolving territorial disputes and Malaysia’s progress on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).
After the closed-door session, the Malaysian media and the United States’ press corps were ushered in for remarks from the leaders.
On the issue of South China Sea, both Malaysia and the United States agreed on the need to apply the rule of law to resolve disputes.
“There are a number of claimants and (although) the US is not one of them, we strongly believe in the need to apply international norms to resolve maritime disputes.
“Asean has taken a common position and we look forward to working with the member nations to ensure basic rules apply.
“Freedom of navigation and free-flow of commerce have really been the foundation stone for extraordinary development of this region,” Obama said.
Najib said Malaysia’s stand on the matter has been consistent with the need to apply the rule of law and expressed hope that tensions in the area would not escalate and the rights of big and small nations would be respected.
He had also explained to Obama the domestic process to get the TPP endorsed, adding that its cost-benefit analysis would be presented to the Cabinet next week.
“We will take it to Parliament in January at a special session and we hope the TPP will be ratified or put in operation in two years,” he said.
The Prime Minister also took the opportunity to explain current developments in Malaysia and said the President had given his views on several issues.
“We take into account some of his views and concerns. Malaysia is committed to reforms and at the same time committed to ensuring peace and stability,” he said.
Obama said it was good to be back in Malaysia and hoped that he had set a good example so future presidents of the United States would not wait for 50 years to come here.
“I discussed with the Prime Minister and we talked about the importance of civil societies not just here but the region. We spoke on how we can promote the values that will encourage continued development and opportunity and prosperity,” he said.
Obama vows commitment to maritime security
By KATHLEEN HENNESSEY and JOSH LEDERMANNovember 17, 2015 2:49 AM
Establishing 'Rule-based Order' in S. China Sea High on US Agenda
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA—
White House officials said establishing a "rule-based order" in the disputed South China Sea region will be high on U.S. President Barack Obama’s agenda as he meets with regional leaders during the annual meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the adjoining East Asia Summit.
Obama arrived Friday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where the summit will be held Saturday and Sunday.
The White House has repeatedly said establishing a “rule-based order” is critical to regional security and economic prosperity, both cornerstones of the U.S. rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region.
Asia policy adviser Dan Kritenbrink said while the United States does not take a position on the maritime territorial disputes, “We do have a national interest in ensuring freedom of navigation, unimpeded lawful commerce, peaceful resolution of disputes, including the use of the international arbitration under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.”
Kritenbrink spoke during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Manila, where Obama addressed the issue during talks with several other leaders attending the gathering.
Lower regional tensions
While in Manila, Obama called on China to lower tensions in the region by “pledging to halt further reclamation, new construction, and militarization of disputed areas in the South China Sea.”
Beijing has been conducting dredging projects on seven disputed formations for nearly two years, creating artificial mini islands.
Two of those newly formed islands have airstrips and harbors that can handle military air and sea craft.
After landing in the Malaysian capital, Obama held a town hall meeting where he called on young Southeast Asian leaders to reject extremism and embrace tolerance.
Town hall
During a question and answer session, Obama also said he would "definitely" raise the issue of human rights and corruption when he meets later Friday with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.
After that meeting, the U.S. leader said the two had “constructive” talks about the importance of civil society and “how we can promote those values that will encourage continued development and opportunity and prosperity.”
Speaking with Obama to reporters, Najib said his government would take into account the views and concerns expressed by Obama and added “Malaysia is committed to reforms, and we are committed to reassuring at the same time there’s peace and stability.”
In recent years, a rising number of opposition figures and government critics have been arrested on a wide array of anti-state charges.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is serving a five-year prison sentence after being convicted on sodomy charges his supporters say were politically motivated.
Najib has also been pressured by his opponents to resign following reports he received $700 million into his personal accounts from the government-owned investment fund.
Security has been expanded throughout Kuala Lumpur amid reports of a terror threat by the Islamic State group, which carried out deadly attacks last week in Paris.
Army personnel
Malaysia's police chief, Khalid Abu Bakar said Friday the reports were unconfirmed, but officials stressed thousands of army personnel are stationed or put on standby in response.
Most of those in attendance at the ASEAN summit are coming from the Philippines, where they attended an annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation – APEC.
Both gatherings, which typically focus on economic issues, have been partly overshadowed by global efforts to combat terrorism following the deadly Paris attacks that killed 129 people.
William Gallo contributed some material to this report from Washington.
Obama ups pressure on China at Asia-Pacific summit
Manila (AFP) - US President Barack Obama on Wednesday demanded China end artificial island building in the hotly contested South China Sea, upping the pressure on Beijing at a regional leaders' summit.
The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) gathering is meant to forge unity on trade among 21 Pacific rim economies encompassing three billion people.
But the territorial row over the strategically vital South China Sea, as well as terrorism concerns following last week's deadly Paris rampage, have dominated the build-up to this year's meeting in the Philippines.
China has repeatedly insisted its disputes with its Asian neighbours over the sea, home to some of the world's most important shipping routes, should not be on the APEC agenda.
But just hours before the two-day summit started, Obama voiced concerns over giant land reclamation works by China that have created new islands close to the Philippines.
"We discussed the impact of China’s land reclamation and construction activities on regional stability," Obama told reporters after meeting Philippine President Benigno Aquino.
"We agree on the need for bold steps to lower tensions, including pledging to halt further reclamation, new construction, and militarisation of disputed areas in the South China Sea."
On Tuesday, Obama also announced more than $250 million in maritime aid to Washington's Southeast Asian allies -- including a warship for the Philippines.
China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, even waters approaching the coasts of its Asian neighbours.
APEC members the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have rival claims to parts of the sea, which is believed to sit atop vast oil and gas resources.
China reacted angrily on Wednesday to Obama's efforts to bolster US allies in the dispute, as it insisted its construction work in the contested areas was "lawful, justified and reasonable".
"If there is something that should stop, it is the United States should stop playing up the South China Sea issue, stop heightening tensions in the South China Sea," foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in Beijing.
In a speech at a business forum in Manila ahead of the summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping did not directly mention the territorial disputes.
But he did call on Pacific nations to "resolve our differences through dialogue and consultation".
"We must focus on development and spare no effort to foster an environment of peace conducive to development and never allow anything to disrupt the development process," he said.
Obama's speech to the business forum focused mostly on the need for the world to tackle global warming, insisting fighting climate change would not hurt the economy.
"We have to break out of the mindset that when we are doing something about climate change, we slow growth," Obama said.
- US-China trade tensions -
While in Manila, Obama is also trying to promote a giant free trade pact signed last month that groups 12 Pacific nations but excludes China.
Obama met with the leaders of the other Trade-Pacific Partnership nations on the sidelines of APEC on Wednesday.
But in his speech, Xi urged Asian economies to sign up to its own free trade agreement, warning rival pacts risked hurting the regional economies.
"With various new regional free trade arrangements cropping up there have been worries about the potential of fragmentation," Xi said.
"We therefore need to accelerate the realisation of FTAAP and take regional economic integration forward."
The FTAAP is the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, which China launched as APEC host last year.
Still, at an evening reception for the leaders, Obama and Xi held an apparently relaxed discussion, with both of them smiling and standing close to each other.
Obama's trip to Asia is the ninth of his presidency so far, and he had hoped it would showcase US commitment to the region and not just on the Middle East or Europe.
But once again his pivot has been blunted by events elsewhere, with Paris mourning the loss of at least 129 people in a rampage claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group.
A draft of the APEC declaration due to be released on Thursday and seen by AFP condemned the Paris attacks, describing them as "atrocities that demand a united voice from the global community".
Philippine authorities, which had already deployed more than 20,000 security forces for the summit, said security had been ratcheted up even higher because of the Paris attacks.
About 100 protesters opposed to APEC's free-trade agenda clashed with helmeted police carrying riot shields just outside the summit venue on Wednesday.
TPPA More Than Just A Trade Pact, Says Obama
By Noor Soraya Mohd Jamal
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 (Bernama) -- The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) is more than just a trade pact as it also has important strategic and geopolitical benefits, US President Barack Obama said.
Speaking at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit 2015 (ABIS 2015) here today, Obama said the TPPA is a win for all participating countries and he is confident of it getting the approvals and moving forward.
"A new trade deal like TPP can be a tough sell. But the answer is not to stop trading -- to try to build barriers that close any individual country off from the global economy. It's not possible anymore.
"The answer is to do trade the right way -- and that's what TPP does," he told the 500-strong ABIS 2015 attendees.
Obama, who is on his second visit to Malaysia, said that the TPPA is a long-term investment in shared security and in universal human rights.
"I want to be very clear, trade is not a panacea. It's not a cure-all for the range of challenges our nations face. But we know from experience that when trade is done right, it can help fuel progress in other areas," he said.
Obama said the TPPA would help build greater trust and cooperation among nations, bind the US even closer to its strongest allies in Asia, while allowing deeper partnerships with countries that are playing a rising role in ASEAN such as Malaysia and Vietnam.
"There is a link between economic security and national security, and that's at the heart of ASEAN.
"So, TPP will help to advance the economic integration that underwrites peace and stability in this region," he said.
It also allows all participating countries to write the rules for trade in the Asia Pacific for decades together, he added.
Obama said the TPPA had the strongest anti-corruption and transparency standards of any trade agreement in history.
It requires countries to have laws against corruption, including making it a crime to bribe a public official, and it requires countries to enforce those laws, he said.
"So TPP encourages rule of law, and stronger, more effective and more accountable governance," he said.
While acknowledging the TPP as a win for the US, Obama pointed out that the trade deal was the first high standard trade agreement to level the playing field between private firms and state-owned enterprises.
"I'm not going to be shy about this. As President of the US, I make no apologies for fighting to open markets to American companies and workers," he said.
Any economic disagreements should be resolved peacefully through dialogue, not through bullying or coercion, he said. Obama, arrived in Kuala Lumpur yesterday for the 27th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits.
Earlier, in his speech, Obama commended Malaysia as an outstanding host of this year's ASEAN chair.
Malaysia and 11 other countries, namely Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Singapore, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, the US and Vietnam concluded the TPP negotiations on Oct 5, 2015.
The content of the TPPA and two impact studies would be tabled in Parliament in January next year as it needs parliamentary approval before it is ratified two years after the signing of the pact.
-- BERNAMA
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 (Bernama) -- The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) is more than just a trade pact as it also has important strategic and geopolitical benefits, US President Barack Obama said.
Speaking at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit 2015 (ABIS 2015) here today, Obama said the TPPA is a win for all participating countries and he is confident of it getting the approvals and moving forward.
"A new trade deal like TPP can be a tough sell. But the answer is not to stop trading -- to try to build barriers that close any individual country off from the global economy. It's not possible anymore.
"The answer is to do trade the right way -- and that's what TPP does," he told the 500-strong ABIS 2015 attendees.
Obama, who is on his second visit to Malaysia, said that the TPPA is a long-term investment in shared security and in universal human rights.
"I want to be very clear, trade is not a panacea. It's not a cure-all for the range of challenges our nations face. But we know from experience that when trade is done right, it can help fuel progress in other areas," he said.
Obama said the TPPA would help build greater trust and cooperation among nations, bind the US even closer to its strongest allies in Asia, while allowing deeper partnerships with countries that are playing a rising role in ASEAN such as Malaysia and Vietnam.
"There is a link between economic security and national security, and that's at the heart of ASEAN.
"So, TPP will help to advance the economic integration that underwrites peace and stability in this region," he said.
It also allows all participating countries to write the rules for trade in the Asia Pacific for decades together, he added.
Obama said the TPPA had the strongest anti-corruption and transparency standards of any trade agreement in history.
It requires countries to have laws against corruption, including making it a crime to bribe a public official, and it requires countries to enforce those laws, he said.
"So TPP encourages rule of law, and stronger, more effective and more accountable governance," he said.
While acknowledging the TPP as a win for the US, Obama pointed out that the trade deal was the first high standard trade agreement to level the playing field between private firms and state-owned enterprises.
"I'm not going to be shy about this. As President of the US, I make no apologies for fighting to open markets to American companies and workers," he said.
Any economic disagreements should be resolved peacefully through dialogue, not through bullying or coercion, he said. Obama, arrived in Kuala Lumpur yesterday for the 27th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits.
Earlier, in his speech, Obama commended Malaysia as an outstanding host of this year's ASEAN chair.
Malaysia and 11 other countries, namely Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Singapore, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, the US and Vietnam concluded the TPP negotiations on Oct 5, 2015.
The content of the TPPA and two impact studies would be tabled in Parliament in January next year as it needs parliamentary approval before it is ratified two years after the signing of the pact.
-- BERNAMA
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