January 24, 2013
Najib’s Foreign Policy Gaffe
Malaysian Prime Minister in GAZA
By Khaidir A. Majid| qidir@nstp.com.my
SOLIDARITY WITH PALESTINIANS: PM regrets Israeli air restrictions made him unable to visit West Bank
CAIRO: PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said his ground-breaking visit to Gaza on
Tuesday was humanitarian in nature and should not be misconstrued as an interference into the domestic affairs of Palestine.
Najib said he would have visited the Fatah-ruled West Bank if not for the constraints placed by Israel’s air control over the Palestinian Territories.
“It was my every intention to also visit Ramallah (de facto capital of the Palestinian Authority) but since I have to fly to get there and the sky is controlled by Israel, I could not make the trip,” he said at the end of his three-day visit to Gaza and Egypt.
For Israel to give permission to fly into Ramallah would have meant that Malaysia would have to recognise Tel Aviv. Najib was asked to comment on reports that his visit to the Hamas-controlled Gaza on Tuesday — the first by a Malaysian Prime Minister — had drawn reactions from the office of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
Najib said he had spoken to Abbas over the phone before leaving for Cairo onward to Gaza to explain the humanitarian nature of his visit and again met Palestinian Waqf Minister Mahmoud Al-Habash of Fatah in Cairo on Tuesday night to do the same.
“My visit to Gaza was purely humanitarian and we wanted to show our solidarity and support for the Palestinian cause. It was also to show support to Fatah and Hamas for their quest to form a unity government as soon as possible,” he said, adding that Gaza was now an issue because it bore the brunt of Israel’s eight-day aggression last November.
“I had the opportunity to see the destruction caused by this aggression and clearly saw that the targets had no significant military value.”
Asked how he felt after making the risky visit to a conflict area, Najib said he had wanted to visit Palestine “for a long time”.
“I had followed the Palestinian issue for a very long time and it is close to my heart because I had in the past adopted two Palestinian children.”
Najib had supported the children until the programme ended with the death of Dr Elijah Gordon of the Malaysian Social Research Institute.
“I had sent money to the children every month since I was at the Education Ministry and later at the Defence Ministry.I would have looked for my adopted children during my visit but it is impossible to locate them. They are probably in the West Bank.”
Najib expressed satisfaction over his Gaza trip, saying he was happy that he could represent Malaysians who had for so long provided assistance and shown strong support for the Palestinians.
Najib also expressed his condolences to the family of a Malaysian killed in the hostage drama in Algeria. “I sympathise with the family for the tragedy. This is something that can happen (to anyone) and very hard to predict. I hope the families (involved) will remain strong in facing this test.”
Najib said there had been discouraging reports about the fate of the Malaysian still missing, but Wisma Putra was monitoring the situation closely.
Najib left for Davos yesterday to attend the World Economic Forum.
A Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak with Egyptian President (right)
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Palestinian President Mahmood Abbas denounced Najib’s Visit to HAMAS in GAZA
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2013/01/23/262086.html
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
by Al Arabiya with AFP
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denounced on Wednesday the Malaysian Prime Minister’s recent visit to Gaza, saying that it “enhances division and does not serve the Palestinian interests,” reported local news agency WAFA.
“The Palestinian Presidency announces its rejection and condemnation of the Malaysian Prime Minister’s visit to Gaza,” a statement said.
Abbas’s bureau called on the Malaysian government to provide “clarification,” saying that Prime Minister Najib Razak called Abbas earlier and told him that Malaysia was going to provide humanitarian aid to the strip, and that he will meet a Palestinian delegation in Cairo afterwards. “[The visit] undermines Palestinian representation and reinforces the division and does not serve Palestinian interests,” it continued.
The bureau considered the visit a contribution to a conspiracy aiming to “divide the Palestinian land;” one that “serves Israeli plans to keep Jerusalem isolated from the Palestinian state,” the agency reported.
On Tuesday, the Malaysian Prime Minister pledged solidarity with the Palestinians on his first trip to Gaza, throwing his support behind reconciliation efforts between Hamas and Fatah.
Najib, who entered via the Rafah crossing from Egypt with Foreign Minister Anifah Aman and other officials, was met by Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya.
Speaking shortly after his arrival, Najib said his visit was intended “to show solidarity and our support for the struggle of the Palestinian people.”
“We may come from thousands of miles away … but we are one Ummah (Muslim people) and we believe in the struggle of the Palestinian people,” he said.
Najib also expressed support for renewed reconciliation efforts between the Islamist movement Hamas and the rival Fatah party, including attempts to form a consensus government to pave the way for new elections.
Amid criticism of his visit from Fatah headed by President Abbas, Najib said a unity government would be a good “response” to Israeli elections which were under way on Tuesday.
“We believe in this unity government and we pray to Allah that the talks will be successful and a united government will become a reality in the near future,” Najib said.
Haniya commented on the vote, warning that “the trend of the Israeli elections suggests a move from an extremist government to a more extreme government.”
“This requires us as Palestinians, and Arabs, and Muslims, to build a unified strategy to confront rising Zionist extremism.”
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http://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/5058-abbas-condemns-malaysian-pms-visit-to-gaza
Abbas condemns Malaysian PM’s visit to Gaza
Wednesday, 23 January 2013 11:45
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has condemned the visit to the Gaza Strip by Malaysia’s Prime Minister. Mohammad Najib spent several hours in Gaza on Tuesday for what he described as a “humanitarian mission”. According to Abbas, however, the visit did not serve Palestinian interests, violated Palestinian representation protocols and reinforced the Palestinian division. His office has demanded clarification from the Malaysian government.
“The Malaysian Prime Minister called President Mahmoud Abbas and informed him that he would send humanitarian aid materials to Gaza and the West Bank, and that he would meet with a Palestinian delegation in Cairo,” said a statement from Ramallah. “This raises question marks and surprise at the visit, which contributes to a conspiracy to divide the Palestinian homeland and serves the plots that aim to keep Jerusalem isolated from the Palestinian state, the legitimacy of which was recognised by the entire world on 29 November, 2012.”
The President’s statement was published by the official Palestinian news agency. It called on “all friends and brothers to contribute to embody the UN resolutions for establishing a unified Palestinian state with Al Quds Al Sharif [Jerusalem] as its capital.”
Speaking at a press conference with Prime Minister Najib, the head of the Palestinian government in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, predicted that the Israeli election will lead to a more extremist government in Tel Aviv. The Palestinian Prime Minister called on all Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims to build a unified strategy to confront what he called “Zionist extremism”.
Din Merican: the Malaysian DJ Blogger 
What advice did Wisma Putra give to the Prime Minister? Can someone in Wisma tell us.–Din Merican
Din
Wisma probably spent half their time advising Mrs PM about her activities in Gaza and arranging the necessary logistics for her. The other half of the time is spent advising and arranging the logistics for Mrs PM to do her shopping in Europe.
Najib is just a member of Mrs PM’s entourage.
In the first place, why go to Gaza? You should meet up with Mahmood Abbas first. Second, you don’t recognise Isreal…..Why should Isreal should allow you to fly through? I don’t know what Najib wanna acheive
Maybe the PM actually didn’t know there were two different factions in the Palestinian leadership i.e. the Fatah and the Hamas… and maybe nobody in Foreign Ministry Wisma Putra bothered to tell him since they assume he would know, afterall, he is the Prime Minister, no?
Maybe it was Anifah Aman who didn’t know as well, so it was basically the blind men with an elephant, literally. Of course, the other blind men in the entourage were Zulkifli Noordin MP of Kulm Bandar and Ustaz Nasharuddin Isa, ex PAS Deputy President…. if this trip was for the Palestinians why bring all these people? It was so obvious, this was to stir the emosi dan sentimental masyarakat orang Islam untuk memangkah Barisan Nasional yang begitu prihatin sekali terhadap nasib orang Islam di Gaza….
Until Mahmoud Abbas gave them a dressing down for visiting Gaza without paying respect first to West Bank! Padan muka kau, Bijan!
Thus, the kelam-kabut damage control….
We are so screwed. This government is totally incompetent.
Comment deleted.
No gaffe from Wisma Putra. The civil servants in WP are totally intimidated by minister Anifah Aman,and word has it that the present KSU will not seek an extension when his contract expires soon.
Najib must have decided on the trip to Gaza with Anifah and his religious advisers in tow ,purely for domestic political consideration with the Muslim electorate and GE 13 in mind.
Note that Najib is the first non-Arab muslim leader to visit Gaza, when the world still considers Fatah and Abbas as the legitimate authority for the Palestinian cause. Giving humanitarian aid is fine but his visit to Gaza and direct dealing with Hamas and its leaders is total insensitivity and naive on his part. As usual more hand outs , just like our role in Afghanistan, and at taxpayers’ expense,whilst the national coffers is fast running dry . Another Malaysia boleh set piece but all for the wrong reasons !!!
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Something good has to be said about the present Wisma KSU, if what you said (that he would not seek a renewal of his contract) is true. Domestic politics should dictate what we do in our relations with the rest of the world. I am personally disappointed with Anifah Aman, the Foreign Minister. As for Najib, I think he should not meddle in the Hamas-Fatah affairs. The Palestine state is represented by President Mahmood Abbas, centered in Ramallah.–Din Merican
I may not like Najib and do not support his constant flip flop while letting big and small people to create unnecessary tension and also ising the word. Wow the WORD. But i think i give it to the man for doing his best for the troubled region….. Some help better than none.
PM’s trip is to drum up support from gullible Muslim voters in
MALAYSIA. It is a public relations exercise typical of this person.
His father visited China and shook hands with Chairman Mao
and some Chinese-Malaysians were fooled into voting for
the regime because of this.
Somebody at wisma goofed or is it a slight for Fatah on purpose? It could also be someone at wisma is working against najib.
This goat again did a boobo.He can’t do anything right can he. He tried to score points just prior to GE13 but failed miserably. Hey chap sort your own house first before you dabble in other people’s affairs.
Najib should clear rubbish in his own backyard before lending a hand to clear rubbish in another’s backyard. He may not be the next Prime Minister of Malaysia and yet he makes a foreign policy trip at such costs to taxpayers. What does it say about the man??
God, he is going to wax pretentiously about his trip and show how he is moved, inspired, wisened by his little jaunt, isn’t he?
Note that Najib is the first non-Arab muslim leader to visit Gaza, when the world still considers Fatah and Abbas as the legitimate authority for the Palestinian cause. …Tune.
What does it say about the man?? …. MONGKUT BEAN
The man is desperate.
He is willing to masuk tak kira lubang mana. Belakang, depan, sah tak sah itu belakang kira.
1pm sepatut duk ‘umah aje. Macam 1pm xade kejo lain… Just let the msian NGOs take care of the Gaza humanitarian aids/issues. We stand united on issues with the international front but Learn to leave the Palestinian domestic politics alone, like how we want others to do unto us. QED.
Methink the 1pm jaguh kampong advisers lack the knowledge of international politics and WPutra is simply too afraid to scuttle 1pm’s wish to milk this trip for the coming GE13. ~ 1pm being the first non-Arab muslim leader to visit Gaza, show Muslim solidarity and all…
Selva,
Please read this:
“According to Abbas, however, the visit did not serve Palestinian interests, violated Palestinian representation protocols and reinforced the Palestinian division. His office has demanded clarification from the Malaysian government.”
Najib is too much of foreign policy novice and midget to earn the respect of the Palestinian leadership. The Question of Palestine is a delicate matter. But if we wish to help we should work with President Abbas on the two state solution to their problem. Going to HAMAS in Gaza is a mistake. It is not a help to the cause of Palestine, although Najib may look good at home to the Malay voters. I will be curious to learn how Wisma Putra is going to explain Najib’s visit to Gaza. Does it serve our national interest? No. –Din Merican
There is something terribly insincere about Najib’s explanation why he did not go to the West Bank to meet President Mahmoud Abbas.
The question of securing Israeli approval for flight clearance is a dumb excuse. The only airport that used to serve Ramallah, the Atarot airport, had been closed for civilian flights since 2001, well over 22 years ago.
Even if Malaysia had diplomatic relations with Israel, Najib’s plane would have had to land in Tel Aviv, and then travel 46 km (just 2 km more than from KLCC to KLIA!) by road to Ramallah, as compared to 346 km from Cairo to the Gaza strip. Or alternatively travel 70 km by road from Amman, Jordan to Ramallah.
Had he really wanted to meet Abass, he would not have called the president just the day before he left for Cairo! For such an offical trip Wisma Putra would have had to make weeks if not months of advance preparations.
What a shame for a humanitarian mission!
Jibs adopted two Palestinian children? probably he paid their expenses through a third person for some time and believes he adopted them. grow up 1pm3suku. for you with your fat salary with which you can dish out millions for diamonds, it is peanuts.
you believe your electorate is so stupid that they will be impressed by your braggings. with my normal salary I have supported 2 african children for eight years. should I write it on my forehead and say I’ve adopted two children?
just like the schweizer cheese he is full of holes.
if some militant group kidnaps you, don’t ever expect us to pay ransom. we’d rather pay them to keep you. bon voyage Mr. 1pm.
Din,
Abbas & Fatah represent secularism. Heck Assad too even though I may no agree with his policy. Arab uprising then was centred on socialist secularism. Come to think of it…..Iraqis before USA’s whacking also extremely secular……If only, haiyaa
My heart is very close to the Orang Asli of Malaysia. The UMNOMelayus have robbed them of their ownership of their land as the original owners of the pensinsula.
Maaf, my typing mistake…should read “well over 12 years ago”.
Nearer to GE, they do things and say things according to what the fence sitting crowd wants hear……….the know these crowds threshold tolerance ….. these fence sitters are the ordinary Ali, Ah Chong and Samy……..who dont read this blog and think. …………….. so it was important nearer to GE to say and do things that get their vote………..so after that, they can have more money blunders to squander for next 4-5 years.
the Ali, Ah Chong and Samy have been led to think that the world sits around us waiting our decisions. The fact is once out of Msia, we soon find out that Spore has more impact to the world than us (other than our palm oil). that between Robert and Ajib…………The PRC top guns will listen to Robert when palm oil is concern since he put up Shangrila-Beijing since Deng’s days.
So what Foreign Policy are we talking about other making Malaysia less significant abroad.
This whole ‘trip’ is a ‘marketing’ exercise for domestic consumption. Who says Jibs and Co can’t go on an advertising jaunt at tax-payers expense. After he’s the chief snake-oil merchant UMNO has who’s into syiok sendiri.
Why Cairo, when the present government has the semblance of anarchy and the economy in tatters? Was it to co-opt the Muslim Brotherhood leanings of PAS? Had the gall to Spout ‘moderation’ when nothing significant was done to slap the religio-fascist-racists black and blue?
Gaza was insisted on to score brownie points with blinkered Islamists, who can’t see beyond the tip of their nose, yet insist on poking it into other people’s business? Can’t even differentiate who, what and where the Palestinians are – much less worry about the infantile diplomacy.
Next, he lands in Davos for the WEF as a plutocrat and will spout another tagline of stupendous stupidity – to try to impress the movers and shakers of No-One, except themselves. Malaysia Boleh is already archaic, you see..
So excuse me, what foreign policy were we discussing? The whole shindig was actually a domestic marketing device. Watch out for more.
I bet Najib does not even know where Gaza is on the map. He probably thought he is bringing Rosmah to a Dead Sea spa but found himself in Gaza with the Dead Sea and spa resort nowhere to be found.
It is called SABOTAGED by his think tanks & thinkers who are all swimming in the fish tank!
The trip has exposed Najib for the foreign policy midget that he is. He probably didn’t understand the division in the Palestinian polity. It’s also an insincere gesture aimed at scoring political points. Furthermore it doesn’t look like the visit was planned in advance as there were no statements from the foreign ministry prior to the visit. Now that damage has been done, lets see what the incompetent diplomats at wisma are going to say.
Sekarang ni ialah musim melawat Gaza di Malaysia. The “in-thing” bak kata orang putih. Macam mana lagi nak meraih undi orang Melayu kalau tak tunjuk yang dia (najib) mengambil berat tentang orang Palestin?
How can it be Najib’s every intention to also visit Ramallah when it is clearly known that Israel control the skies there. Do we have buffoons in Wisma Putra advising Najib on foreign policy ? Or did desperation for Malay Muslim votes forced Najib to bulldoze this quick ill planned visit ?Abbas’s condemnation of Najib’s visit is a tight slap on the face of Najib and Malaysia. So finally it is a trip in futility and more negative Muslim votes for Najib.
Gaza while all this while Bijan thought he was going to Ginza.
Gaza touches at the very religious string of the Malay Muslims in Malaysia. Thus Bijan had to make the trip to show the Malay Muslims that he cares for Muslims and expect sympathy votes. Does Bijan know that there are also Christians in Gaza?
How did Bijan travel to Gaza? Did he use the Malaysian Passport which clearly says “not valid for travel to Israel”?
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Orang Malaya,
Nijab is an exceptional man. So, that restriction does not apply to him. He carries a diplomatic passport.–Din Merican
I think he went to Gaza, hoping to be hit by a stray bullet on the buttock, and hope that it will enhance his chance of winning the 13GE, for him and his drowning party, remember Chen Shui Bian of Taiwan ?
Some saboteurs in Wisma Putra giving Najib the wrong advice? Anifah Aman’s boo-boo? Big Mama deciding Najib’s moves? More plain and simple incompetence from Najib compounded by desparation? Trying to win local Malay votes the way Tun Razak garnered Chinese votes by way of shaking Mao’s hand?
Who knows what the truth is.
Personally, it really matters little because to me, Najib should never, ever have occupied the PM’s seat. Indeed, if I look back at his long and hardly illustrious carrer stretching from the time in 1978 when he was literally shoved onto and then up the ladder of power, he has not shown any sign that he could handle any of the posts he has held. The Peterson Principle many, many times over.
So why should we be surprised at his latest faux pax in Gaza?
Din :
Najib got himself an honorary doctorate from Al Aqsa _ a terrorist training university.
Muhyiddin managed to get an honorary doctorate from a dodgy online university from Mobile , Alabama.
What are the odds of the above events happening within 10 days of each other ?
Cheers.
This is a master-stroke in Malaysian Foreign Policy. Yes, some Palestinians in the West Bank will be not be happy. They are responsible for what they have done and for their weak financial administration. The West does not not like Hamas which came into position of power in Gaza on the back of a clean and honest administration. The Palestinians will have to sort thing out among themselves to lay the foundation for a State based on unity, equity and integrity for all Palestinians.
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A Master stroke? You can’t be serious. HAMAS does not have a mission in Malaysia. –Din Merican
Hamas is the other side of the Palestinian coin and the Plestinian Authority repesented by President Abbas has to, at some point in time , accept that until such they are defeated in the next polls.
Thumb Logic, 4.10 pm….”master-stroke”? Must be the beginning of many jokes!
On the Palestinian issue, Malaysia is just a bystander with no real role and clout. Even when Malaysia was chairman of both the Non Aligned Organisation and the Organisation of Islamic Conference in 2002/03 that role was nothing more that the issuing of conference declarations and statements condemning Israel.
It was the same when Gaza was bombed by Israel towards the end of last year. Najib’s office just issued a statement that was a mere reiteration of Malaysia’s known policy positions on the subject.
The real power brokers with the key roles to fix the problem are the US, Britain, Russia, France and the Arab countries. They have spent countless hours and attended numerous meetings at the highest levels and dangled all kinds of incentives but until now are still struggling to find a solution.
So, what was new and spectacular from Najib’s trip? Nothing. Najib went on a rush trip and brought along some media people. It was just a cheap attempt to stage some photo opportunities!
Thank You Orang Jauh. Yes, you are right but over the last five years or so there has been a discernible shift in the global power equation. The adoption of the resolution to up grade the status of the Palestinian Authority in the United Nation is a case in point. This was opposed by the big powers for a very long time. But the constant knocking on the door by medium and small countries with the support of like-minded big powers produced the above results.
In the past OIC and NAM were not able to operate without being aligned to one power or the other. But today it is different. The shift may not be that significant but it is enough to tell us that change is coming but slowly. It is now up to the medium and small nations to upgrade their governance and financial management and bring them up to par with the developed world if we want their voices to be audible in the global stage. In this regard, we have work to do and the leaders must have the political will to do what it takes to achieve that kind of recognititon.
In October 2012, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the emir of Qatar, became the first head of state to visit Gaza under Hamas’s rule, inaugurating rebuilding and development projects estimated to be worth more than $400 million.
Excerpts of the visit taken from: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/10/2012102353137370247.html
In a phone conversation on the eve of the visit, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the emir’s intentions to help the people of Gaza, under an Israeli-led blockade since the Hamas takeover.
“They’ve (Hamas) really been treated as ‘a terrorist organisation’, as a pariah government, since they took control in 2007, and now they finally have a world leader, a leader of an Arab country, visiting them,” said Johnston.
“So it is a coup for Hamas. What it isn’t is good news for Fatah. The emir of Qatar is not going to Ramallah, he’s not going to the West Bank, and so the Palestinian Authority has been very strong in trying to push the point that the Palestinian territories should be united, that it is one political entity, and that even though the emir is only visiting Gaza, that this ‘national unity’ – which is stuck for the moment – eventually has to happen for there to be any progress at all on Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.”
Qatar has played a key role in the reconciliation process. Earlier this year, the emir brought together Abbas and Hamas’ supreme leader in exile, Khaled Meshaal, to make a deal.
Under the arrangement, Abbas was to lead an interim unity government to pave the way for new elections in the Palestinian territories.
That deal is yet to be implemented.
And in November, 2012 Prime Minister Hesham Qandil of Egypt visited Gaza for a few hours during the fighting between Israel and Hamas.
Why is there no condemnation for the two visits when it had been described as ‘a coup’ and good news for Hamas then??? Any comments for this??? TQ.
Dear Moderator, don’t you think that sharing such posts on a public platform can be misleading for some individuals? I think the overall approach towards writing a post should be changed. Does anybody else also agree with me?
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I expect my readers and commenters to be sensible and they are.–Din Merican