ANWAR IBRAHIM CRITICIZES GOVERNMENT FOR EJECTING

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUALA LUMPUR 000337

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP, INR, T, IO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2018
TAGS: PARM PREL PGOV ETTC IR MY
SUBJECT: ANWAR IBRAHIM CRITICIZES GOVERNMENT FOR EJECTING
IRAN FROM ARMS SHOW

REF: A. KUALA LUMPUR 302 - IRAN BLOCKED AGAIN


B. STATE 41998 - ENDING U.S. PARTICIPATION

C. KUALA LUMPUR 286 - IRAN NOT STOPPED

D. KUALA LUMPUR 274 - MINDEF SAYS NO IRAN

E. KUALA LUMPUR 269 - IRAN AT ARMS SHOW

F. STATE 39049 - DEMARCHE INSTRUCTION

Classified By: Political Section Chief Mark D. Clark for reasons 1.4 (b
and d).


1. (SBU) De facto opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim used a
public speaking engagement on April 27 and his personal
internet blog to criticize the Malaysian government for
bowing to U.S. pressure and ejecting Iranian entities from
the Defense Services Asia (DSA) military sales exhibition,
held in Kuala Lumpur April 20-24 (reftels). Anwar told
reporters on April 27 that "we strongly protest against
(Deputy Prime Minister/Defense Minister) Najib's decision to
deny Iran participation more so when they were invited here."
In his blog, Anwar referenced UN Security Council
resolutions 1747 and 1803, but also wrote that, "(the DSA)
exhibition is open to all sovereign nations, not for the
purpose of selling weapons and other defense articles....
Malaysia as a sovereign and respected nation should have a
non-aligned foreign policy and should not bow to directives
from the U.S. or other powers." Some internet commentators
speculated that Anwar's remarks on the issue represented an
attempt to distance himself publicly from U.S. policy in
order to undercut Malaysian government efforts to paint Anwar
as a U.S. puppet.


2. (C) Polchief on April 30 spoke with Tian Chua,
Information Chief for Anwar Ibrahim's Peoples Justice Party
(PKR) and a close Anwar aide. Polchief drew Tian Chua's
attention to paragraph 5 of UNSCR 1747 and its blanket
prohibition on Iran's transfer and sales of arms and
arms-related materiel, and highlighted the fact that even
Iranian transfer of arms for the purpose of the DSA
exhibition violated UN sanctions. Polchief emphasized that
this was not a U.S. policy, but a decision by the
international community, as represented by the United
Nations. Tian Chua did not argue regarding the
interpretation of the UNSCRs. He claimed that Anwar had
intended to draw attention to the ineptitude of Malaysia's
defense and foreign ministries, which had made a mistake by
inviting Iran in the first place.


3. (C) Comment: Anwar did not get his facts straight on the
DSA event and Iran's attempted participation, which included
the display of small rockets, missiles and artillery shells.
Nevertheless, this did not prevent him from taking an
opportunistic swipe at the Malaysian government at U.S.
expense. Anwar's remarks on Iran's participation at the
defense sales exhibition are reminiscent of attacks launched
by the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) against Prime Minister
Abdullah Badawi. Abdullah, in a brief, one-time public
comment in April 2007, called on Iran to respect UN
resolutions regarding its nuclear program. At that time, PAS
called Abdullah a U.S. "servant" for asking Iran "to kow-tow
to the U.S. imposed UN Security Council (demands) to stop
nuclear activities." PAS is an Islamist party and a key
component in Anwar's opposition People's Alliance.
KEITH