Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KUALALUMPUR2271
2006-12-12 10:50:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Cable title:  

MALAYSIA'S OIC ROLE FOCUSES ON PRACTICAL MEASURES

Tags:  PREL PINR EAID KISL MY 
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VZCZCXRO2569
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHKL #2271/01 3461050
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 121050Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8121
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHKL/ISLAMIC CONFERENCE COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0306
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0180
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 002271 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2016
TAGS: PREL PINR EAID KISL MY
SUBJECT: MALAYSIA'S OIC ROLE FOCUSES ON PRACTICAL MEASURES
AND REFORM

REF: KUALA LUMPUR 2199 - A MALAY/MUSLIM FOREIGN POLICY

Classified By: POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MARK D. CLARK, REASONS 1.4 (B AN
D D).

Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 002271

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2016
TAGS: PREL PINR EAID KISL MY
SUBJECT: MALAYSIA'S OIC ROLE FOCUSES ON PRACTICAL MEASURES
AND REFORM

REF: KUALA LUMPUR 2199 - A MALAY/MUSLIM FOREIGN POLICY

Classified By: POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MARK D. CLARK, REASONS 1.4 (B AN
D D).

Summary
--------------


1. (C) Malaysia's senior diplomat supporting Prime Minister
Abdullah Badawi's role as Chairman of the Organization of the
Islamic Conference (OIC),Ambassador Ibrahim Abdullah, told
us December 1 that Malaysia would continue to focus on
"concrete and practical measures" by the OIC to help its
poorest members and on reform of the OIC as an institution.
Malaysia has funded four OIC development projects in
impoverished countries. Ambassador Ibrahim identified
Palestine as the core political issue facing the OIC and
implied GOM displeasure with Hamas. He also suggested the
U.S. apply for OIC observer status. Malaysia has only seven
professional diplomats working on OIC matters and anticipates
handing over the chairmanship to Senegal in early 2008.
Third-country diplomats from Muslim countries tended to
describe Malaysia's OIC chairmanship as somewhat helpful, but
featuring only modest achievements. These diplomats also
downplayed Malaysia's influence among Muslim nations in West
Asia. End Summary.

Malaysia Focuses on Practical OIC Measures
--------------


2. (C) Polchief called on Ambassador Ibrahim Abdullah, Under
Secretary for the OIC Division in Malaysia's Foreign

SIPDIS
Ministry, on December 1 to discuss Malaysia's ongoing role as
OIC chairman. Polchief noted the prominent references to the
OIC in Prime Minister Abdullah's speech to the United Malays
National Organization (UMNO, Malaysia's dominant political
party) general assembly in November (reftel). Polchief also
drew Ibrahim's attention to increasing senior-level contacts
between the U.S. and the OIC.


3. (C) Ibrahim stated that Malaysia, as chair since 2003,
had focused on two broad tracks, namely "concrete and
practical measures" to improve conditions in Islamic
countries, and institutional reform of the OIC and its
Secretariat. Regarding the first track, Prime Minister

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Abdullah Badawi recognized that Islamic countries needed to

get their own houses in order, including addressing poverty
and strengthening their economies. Internal weaknesses in
Islamic countries translated into political weakness and
disunity when facing critical issues, such as those in the
Middle East. This led Malaysia to urge the OIC to focus on
"practical steps" to strengthen their economies, including
aid to poor countries in conjunction with the Islamic
Development Bank (IDB) and fostering of the Islamic Financial
Master Plan.

Development Projects
--------------


4. (SBU) As to its commitment to help poor OIC members,
Malaysia had developed projects in four countries, Ibrahim
explained: Sierra Leone (palm oil),Bangladesh, Indonesia
(business development in Aceh),and Mauritania. In each case
Malaysia had involved or worked through the IDB. Ibrahim
alluded to longer term Malaysian commercial interests in
connection with the palm oil project in Sierra Leone. In
response to our question, Ibrahim said he was unaware of OIC
economic development projects to assist in Afghanistan or
Iraq. Ibrahim discussed Malaysia's initiatives in the
context of implementing the OIC's Ten-Year Program of Action.

Institutional Reform Needed
--------------


5. (C) Ibrahim stated that PM Abdullah recognized the need
to reform the OIC as an institution, particularly the
Secretariat, in order to make the OIC more effective and

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action-oriented. Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir,
together with former Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas,
served on the OIC advisory body tasked with drawing up
recommendations for needed reforms.

Concern for Palestine, Criticism of Hamas
--------------


KUALA LUMP 00002271 002 OF 002



6. (C) Ibrahim noted that resolving the Palestine issue
remained the single greatest concern before the OIC. Ibrahim
recalled the obstructive behavior of a Hamas official who had
tried to usurp the role of lead Palestinian delegate (a
designation held by a Fatah representative) in the early
August OIC summit in Kuala Lumpur. Ibrahim argued that in
order for the international community to "defeat Hamas,"
countries should not withhold assistance from the Palestinian
people; this would have the opposite effect and strengthen
Hamas. Accordingly, Malaysia recently provided $16 million
to the Palestinian Authority, but "not to Hamas."

U.S. Should Consider OIC Observer Status
--------------


7. (C) While discussing increased U.S. contacts with the OIC
and the growing Muslim population in the U.S, Ibrahim
suggested the U.S. consider joining the OIC as an observer.
He noted that Thailand held observer status. Ibrahim
expected Malaysia to remain the OIC chair through February
2008, at which time Senegal would be ready to take over this
role. Ibrahim explained that his division within the MFA
(with a total of seven professional diplomats including
Ibrahim) represented the only GOM office to staff the OIC
function, although the Foreign Ministry could reach out to
other GOM offices for technical assistance on development
projects.

Perspectives of Muslim World Diplomats
--------------


8. (C) Kuala Lumpur-based diplomats from Kuwait, Jordan,
Turkey, Iraq and Afghanistan, in separate conversations over
the past several months, tended to describe Malaysia's OIC
chairmanship as somewhat helpful, but featuring only modest
achievements. Kuwait Embassy Counselor Ayman Al-Adsani said
Malaysia had done an adequate job as OIC chair. PM Abdullah
had focused more on addressing Islamic countries internal
problems (poverty, ignorance, extremism) rather than
constantly blaming others for the Islamic world's
difficulties, but results had been limited. Keep in mind not
much can be expected of the OIC chair, Ayman argued, given
the weakness of the OIC itself. Both Ayman and Jordanian
diplomat Maan Masadeh provided similar first-hand accounts of
Malaysia's actions during the August OIC summit to ward off
(successfully) an Iranian attempt to insert support for
Hizbollah into the OIC's "Putrajaya Statement."

Downplaying Malaysia's Influence
--------------


9. (C) Maan believed Malaysia valued its OIC chair because,
like NAM leadership, it made Malaysia more significant on the
international stage. The position also supported Abdullah's
domestic political stature. The Muslim diplomats, with the
exception of an Afghan, all downplayed Malaysia's influence
in the Arab world and with Iran, and all identified trade and
investment opportunities as the prime motivating factor in
Malaysia's foreign policy, including with Islamic countries.
None viewed Abdullah's concept of "Islam Hadari"
(civilizational Islam) has having resonance outside Malaysia.

Comment
--------------


10. (C) Our meeting with Ambassador Ibrahim was devoid of
the shrill anti-Israel, anti-West rhetoric that we heard out
of the OIC's emergency summit on Lebanon held in Malaysia in
August. Ibrahim described modest, largely apolitical goals
for Malaysia's continued tenure as chairman; when we tried to
draw him out on future political summits, Ibrahim averred
there were none planned. Malaysia's focus on economic
development in the Muslim world builds on an approach staked
out by former Prime Minister Mahathir and reflects Malaysia's
own economic achievements. We noted that Ibrahim did not
refer to the OIC Secretariat accept to express the need for
reform; likewise, we found almost no reference to Malaysia's
chairmanship on the OIC Secretariat's website.
LAFLEUR