EXBS: MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE/INDONESIA/PHILIPPINES

UNCLAS KUALA LUMPUR 000007 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC KNNP KSTC MNUC PARM PREL MY SUBJECT: EXBS: MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE/INDONESIA/PHILIPPINES ADVISOR MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE - SUMMARY ¶1. (U) December 16, 2008 scheduled meeting between Advisor and representative of High Commission of New Zealand was postponed and will be rescheduled for third week in January. December 18, 2008 tour of Port Klang provided by ICE CSI Program Manager was rescheduled for mid January with Deputy Chief of Mission to be included. On January 6, 2009 Advisor sent letters to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interntaional Trade and Industry; Royal Malaysian Customs; and Attorney General's Chambers regarding availability of legal and regulatory workshop. SITE ASSESSMENTS/MEETINGS ¶2. (U) Advisor met with Mr. Shazryll Zahiran, Principal Assistant Secretary, Nuclear Disarmament & Non-Proliferation Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs on December 12, 2008. Mr. Zahiran relayed that his boss, Undersecretary (Disarmament & Non-Proliferation) Bala Chandran was pleased to have attended the Export Control Conference held in Dubrovnik, Croatia in October. (Note: Undersecretary's attendance was funded by EXBS). He noted that his office has reorganized and that he will have one officer assigned to him that will handle export control matters but that officer is currently out on extended sick leave. Mr. Zahiran indicated this his office has been approached by the Australian High Commission, British High Commission, and the Embassy of Japan as well as the U.S. Embassy concerning training related to export controls. Mr. Zahiran stated that the Government of Malaysia is not resistant to the offerings, however it does not want to do training before it has a new law in place. He stated that the proposed legislation was drafted after the review of laws of other countries (Singapore in particular was cited) and is currently under review for a second time by the Attorney General's Chambers. Mr. Zahiran further stated that he expected that the proposed legislation would be forwarded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs soon for a review from the policy perspective and that it then would be sent to Parliament before the end of the first quarter (March) of 2009. In a further comment concerning the proposed legislation, he stated that Malaysia considered it important and wanted to get it right so the GOM is going slowly. TRAINING CONDUCTED ¶3. (U) None IMMINENT TRAINING/EQUIPMENT UPDATE ¶4. (U) Advanced License Processing Workshop will be held in Singapore January 13-15, 2009. Legal and Regulatory Workshop will be held January 26-28, 2009 in Manila. SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS ¶5. (U) None KEITH