Prime Minister Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak of Malaysia
11 January 2010
India would be a major strategic player in the years to come and her economy is projected to outshine that of many countries, according to Prime Minister Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak of Malaysia. But he dismissed outright the idea of Malaysia taking sides in the unfolding India-China rivalry, just as it would like to insure itself against getting entangled in the Jammu and Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan.
“The security challenges in South-East Asia are manageable. There is no conflict … the prospects of conflict are fast receding. Today the region faces unconventional threats more than State threats,” he told Indian journalists Monday at his office in Putrajaya, the seat of Malaysian Government situated on the outskirts of the capital Kuala Lumpur, when asked for his views on the emergence of China and India and the concerns that may arise from it.
In the same vein, Prime Minister Najib Razak said that although Malaysia, as a member of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), has been party to many resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir, the matter must to be res
olved bilaterally by India and Pakistan. He clarified that Malaysia would not encourage any role for an OIC special envoy for Jammu and Kashmir without the mutual consent of India and Pakistan. “[It] depends on how India sees it,” he said.
Mr Najib will be in India on January 19, after concluding his visits to Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi. “I’m hoping my visit [will] definitely enhance our political and economic relations with India,” he said. Malaysia was keen on attracting Indian investments, besides strengthening cooperation in traditional areas such as Indian imports of Malaysian palm oil, education, information and communication technology, and tourism.
New areas of collaboration such as participation of Malaysian companies in oil and gas exploration in India, introduction of Monorail, and green technology also would be on his agenda. Space and civil nuclear energy were potential areas of cooperation as Malaysia looks to increase its profile in the years to come. Several MoUs, including one on construction of roads and highways in India, are likely to be signed during the visit.
Mr Najib Razak did not believe that the defence cooperation between India and Malaysia has been deliberately pegged at a sub-optimal level. Although no “major” defence acquisition was on the cards, Malaysia would be open to the idea of studying weapon-systems developed by India. “Brahmos (a missile system jointly developed by India and Russia) has been introduced to us but it is not part of our current plans. Maybe for the future,” he said. He appreciated India’s assistance in training of Malaysian Air Force pilots and maintenance of Sukhoi aircraft.
olved bilaterally by India and Pakistan. He clarified that Malaysia would not encourage any role for an OIC special envoy for Jammu and Kashmir without the mutual consent of India and Pakistan. “[It] depends on how India sees it,” he said.Mr Najib will be in India on January 19, after concluding his visits to Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi. “I’m hoping my visit [will] definitely enhance our political and economic relations with India,” he said. Malaysia was keen on attracting Indian investments, besides strengthening cooperation in traditional areas such as Indian imports of Malaysian palm oil, education, information and communication technology, and tourism.
New areas of collaboration such as participation of Malaysian companies in oil and gas exploration in India, introduction of Monorail, and green technology also would be on his agenda. Space and civil nuclear energy were potential areas of cooperation as Malaysia looks to increase its profile in the years to come. Several MoUs, including one on construction of roads and highways in India, are likely to be signed during the visit.
Mr Najib Razak did not believe that the defence cooperation between India and Malaysia has been deliberately pegged at a sub-optimal level. Although no “major” defence acquisition was on the cards, Malaysia would be open to the idea of studying weapon-systems developed by India. “Brahmos (a missile system jointly developed by India and Russia) has been introduced to us but it is not part of our current plans. Maybe for the future,” he said. He appreciated India’s assistance in training of Malaysian Air Force pilots and maintenance of Sukhoi aircraft.
He said that Malaysia would not be averse to cooperating with India in anti-piracy manoeuvres provided the principle that securing the Straits of Malacca was the responsibility of the littoral states – Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore – was not undermined.
One area of concern for Mr Najib Razak was the disappearance of a large number of Indian nationals in Malaysia. As many as 39,046 Indians were reported “missing” till June 2009, a majority of whom entered Malaysia on work permits only to drop off the radar. The issue is likely to figure during his visit to Chennai next week, the first-ever visit by a Malaysian prime minister. The Tamil Nadu
One area of concern for Mr Najib Razak was the disappearance of a large number of Indian nationals in Malaysia. As many as 39,046 Indians were reported “missing” till June 2009, a majority of whom entered Malaysia on work permits only to drop off the radar. The issue is likely to figure during his visit to Chennai next week, the first-ever visit by a Malaysian prime minister. The Tamil Nadu
Governor and Chief Minister would meet him.
“We presume they are still in Malaysia but they are not in the records. Thankfully they have not become terrorists,” he said, hinting that the security concerns of people going missing could not be overstated. His remarks seemed to echo the concerns of New Delhi, which was battling the abuse of long-term tourist visas by terror suspects David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana.
“We presume they are still in Malaysia but they are not in the records. Thankfully they have not become terrorists,” he said, hinting that the security concerns of people going missing could not be overstated. His remarks seemed to echo the concerns of New Delhi, which was battling the abuse of long-term tourist visas by terror suspects David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana.Malaysia has become a transit point for human trafficking to third countries. The Malaysian Government has uncovered a syndicate trafficking Sri Lankan nationals to Australia but no incident involving Indians has come to light so far.
Mr Najib Razak said that the problem of overstaying by Indians was particularly reported among those flying to Malaysia from Chennai, which was why the Malaysian Immigration was not keen to revisit the issue of resuming visa-on-arrival for Indian nationals. “Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore are OK but Chennai is a problematic area,” he said, taking care to add that it was not a governmental issue as private citizens were involved.
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