DCM RAPSON CALLS ON NEW MFA AMERICAS OFFICIAL,

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUALA LUMPUR 000212

SIPDIS

FOR EAP/MTS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2019
TAGS: PREL MY
SUBJECT: DCM RAPSON CALLS ON NEW MFA AMERICAS OFFICIAL,
URGES BETTER COMMUNICATIONS

Classified By: Political Counselor Mark D. Clark, reason 1.4 (b and d).


1. (C) DCM Rapson and polcouns on March 20 paid an initial
courtesy call on the Malaysian Foreign Ministry's new Senior
Under Secretary for Americas, EU and Russia, Ms. Wan Napsiah.
(Note: Napsiah is the fourth Under Secretary handling U.S.
affairs in the past three years. End Note.) DCM conveyed
our interest in improving communications with the MFA, and
the Americas Division in particular, in order to best take
advantage of new opportunities arising from changes in
administrations in both countries this year. DCM offered
that, once senior appointments are in place in Washington and
Kuala Lumpur, both sides should consider whether and how to
continue a senior policy dialogue, recalling that our
countries had met in May 2006 for an initial round. Napsiah
agreed and said the MFA would need some time, as the incoming
administration of Najib Razak opens the possibility of
changes in the Foreign Minister and other top MFA officials.
DCM encouraged Napsiah to visit Washington, something that
her three immediate predecessors had not done. The DCM and
polcouns raised current priorities including the importance
of export control legislation; U.S. urging of GOM not to
approve the opening of Iran's Bank Mellat in Malaysia; U.S.
support for Malaysia's inclusion in the piracy contact group;
GOM response to allegations of trafficking of refugees and
need for protection and recognition of refugee status.


2. (C) Napsiah said she welcomed good communications with
the Embassy. While attentive to the DCM's points on priority
issues, she was non-committal in response and indicated she
was still reading in for her new brief. Napsiah inquired
about POTUS and the Secretary's future travel to the region,
and emphasized her government's interest in including
Malaysia as a possible stop. Napsiah spoke of her five years
as Under Secretary for Maritime Affairs, and said she had
noticed recently a more active U.S. naval presence in the
South China Sea. She referred to China's claims in the South
China sea as "totally unrealistic" and "very extreme."


3. (SBU) Bio note: Napsiah has served three overseas
assignments: Stockholm, Bangkok, and Vancouver as Consul
General. She left Vancouver in 2003 to head the Ministry's
Maritime Affairs division, where she developed expertise on
law of the sea and the South China Sea. She informed us that
former ambassador to the U.S. Ghazzali Khalid had offered her
the DCM position in Washington in 2003, which she turned down
in order to return to Malaysia. In early 2009, she helped to
lead boundary dispute negotiations with Brunei. Napsiah has
an excellent command of English.
KEITH