MALAYSIA CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC OVER PRESIDENT OBAMA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 000061

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

FOR EAP/MTS AND INR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPAO SCUL MY
SUBJECT: MALAYSIA CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC OVER PRESIDENT OBAMA

REF: A. A. KUALA LUMPUR 23 -- PARLIAMENT CONDEMNS ISRAEL

B. B. KUALA LUMPUR 16 -- PM CONVOKES UNSC AMBASSADORS

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


1. (SBU) Malaysians have enthusiastically but cautiously
welcomed President Barack Obama as the 44th President of the
United States. Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi and his
expected successor, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, have
both pledged to work closely with the Obama Administration,
and expressed hope that the U.S. would take a new approach
towards global issues. Malaysians and Americans gathered at
a well-attended inauguration event hosted by the American
Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) and widely covered by the press.
The President's January 26 Al-Arabiya interview attracted
less press attention and some skepticism regarding future
U.S. policy in the Middle East.


2. (SBU) Comment: The Malaysian mainstream press, heavily
influenced by the government, is cautiously optimistic about
President Obama, as is the public in general. There is a
wait-and-see attitude, however, regarding the U.S. role in
the Middle East coupled with continued public attention to
the situation in Gaza. End Summary and Comment.

Abdullah, Najib Pledge to Work with Obama, Hope for Change
-------------- --------------


3. (SBU) Both PM Abdullah and DPM Najib were quick to hail
President Obama and his new administration. The PM
commented, "I welcome his inaugural speech and I am sure
there will be a big change in the foreign policy of the
United States, especially on certain aspects that are
regarded as very confrontational." The PM also viewed
Obama's inaugural comments directed towards the Muslim world
as positive. DPM Najib, who will take over as PM in late
March, also hoped "to see the U.S. getting other states into
its discussions and not acting unilaterally or only with
those in the coalition of the willing." Najib also noted "we
hope President Obama can take on a combination of both soft
and hard power to tackle issues."


4. (U) The Foreign Ministry's Strategic Plan, released
January 29, includes notation that "Malaysia is looking
forward to enhancing its bilateral relations and cooperation
with the U.S." under the new U.S. Administration (septel).



Kuala Lumpur Americans Celebrate at Inaugural Breakfast
-------------- --------------


5. (SBU) The American Chamber of Commerce in Malaysia and the
American Association of Malaysia invited Ambassador Keith to
address a large group of Malaysians and Americans at a
January 21 inaugural event. Over 150 of Kuala Lumpur,s
Malaysian-American business leaders and members of the
American community gathered to mark the start of the next era
in American politics. The event featured a video of
President Obama,s inaugural speech and remarks by Ambassador
Keith. A large group of press attended the event, which was
well covered in the local media.


Malaysian Press Cautiously Optimistic
--------------


6. (SBU) After consistent negative press coverage of the U.S.
during the recent Gaza fighting (reftels),Malaysia,s major
dailies provided significant coverage of the U.S.
inauguration. The accompanying commentary and editorials
were cautiously optimistic. The inauguration was the top
story in local broadcast and print media on January 21.
Major dailies devoted their front pages and, in some cases,
their first several pages to Obama,s swearing-in as the 44th
American president. Local media also utilized the press
opportunity presented by the January 21 AmCham inauguration
event to add local flavor to their coverage of the
inauguration. Television news on the evening of January 21,
as well the next day,s print media gave broad coverage of
the AmCham event, and focused on Ambassador Keith,s comments

KUALA LUMP 00000061 002 OF 002


in response to the Malaysian press, many questions on the
situation in Gaza.


7. (SBU) Beyond the headlines, articles on the inside pages
of most major dailies around the inauguration stressed the
challenges that face President Obama and a new U.S.
Administration, and the cautious hope that he will be up to
the challenge. A January 21 editorial in the
government-influenced Malay language daily Berita Harian
entitled, "Bush, most hated in modern history," expressed
hope for the new President: "The international community
placed their hopes on the new President Barack Hussein Obama,
mainly because they wanted a return of America as a friendly
nation, a model nation that depicts good values and a fighter
(for) justice and freedom throughout the world. In this
spirit, we thus wish, Welcome back, America." This sentiment
was echoed by the ruling party's leading Malay language daily
Utusan Malaysia in its editorial, saying that Obama "needs to
prove to his people that they did not make a mistake in
electing him, and to the world that it was not wishful
thinking on their part when they pinned their hopes on him.
May what Obama said in his inaugural address not be just more
rhetoric."


8. (SBU) On January 22, leading Chinese language daily Sin
Chew Daily in its editorial stated that Obama,s inauguration
address was "a pragmatic speech that sought to reposition the
United States in a new responsible era." The editorial went
on to explain that "in his speech, President Obama also
mentions that the future of a nation is a collective choice
of all its citizens.... As Malaysia is also going through
economic and social challenges, President Obama,s
inauguration speech should give Malaysians new thought to
take up responsibility as citizens in this new era."


9. (SBU) An editorial in the independent Chinese language
daily Kwong Wah Jit Poh expressed the "sincere hope that in
the coming four years, President Obama will play his role as
a true, humble, and righteous statesman in making a change
for his country as well as the international community."


The People Have their Say
--------------


10. (SBU) From commentary and letters from readers in
Malaysia,s major dailies, both English and vernacular, it is
clear that the Malaysian public was very focused on Barack
Obama during and in the days immediately following the
inauguration. One reader noted that Obama "is after all
still a creature of U.S. politics, which is defined by
several key issues, such as its reluctance to be tied to many
global initiatives and its support for Israel," but continued
by stating "the world hopes that Obama, with his global
roots, will be less xenophobic, be more inclusive even in its
America-first policy and be a consensus builder...many are
giving the United States another chance...."

Malaysian Press Coverage of Al-Arabiya Interview
-------------- ---


11. (SBU) Following President Obama's January 26 interview
with Al-Arabiya, only a handful of editorials in the
Malaysian press made reference to it, mainly in the
Malay-language dailies. While generally positive, with one
piece commenting that "the Muslim world is besotted with
Obama's 'Islamic' persona," the Malay press also registered
considerable skepticism as to how the perceived encouraging
tone of the new U.S. Administration would be translated into
action. Several mentions of the Obama interview were made
within news articles highlighting reactions by Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad to Obama's televised message to
the Muslim world, stating that "for Mahmoud, it (referring to
Obama's talk of reaching a solution to nuclear developments
in Iran through negotiations) is nothing more than a strategy
by Obama to gain political mileage." Septel will provide
additional details.
KEITH