DEMARCHE DELIVERED: MALAYSIA BACKS OIC POSITION ON

UNCLAS KUALA LUMPUR 000900 SIPDIS SENSITIVE FOR EAP/MTS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL MY SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: MALAYSIA BACKS OIC POSITION ON DEFAMATION OF RELIGIONS REF: A. STATE 109341 -- UN CONVENTION ENDANGERS FREEDOM OF RELIGION ¶B. KUALA LUMPUR 464 -- MALAYSIA UNDECIDED ON DEFAMATION OF RELIGIONS ¶C. STATE 106839 -- UN DEFAMATION OF RELIGIONS POSTPONEMENT ¶1. (SBU) Poloff passed demarche points (ref A) to Ms. Sharon Ho, Assistant Secretary in the MFA's International Law Society Unit of the Multilateral Political Division, on October 29, regarding the third meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee. Ho did not provide any immediate feedback, saying the issue was still under consideration. ¶2. (SBU) PolCouns followed up with Jamal Sharifuddin, Acting Principal Assistant Secretary, Multilateral Political Division, on November 6. Jamal said the GOM had a mandate from the OIC to present the resolution at the UN, so it would not agree to the USG demarche request. However, Jamal added, his government was open to discussing USG concerns with the wording of the resolution in New York or Kuala Lumpur. He said he did not see how the draft resolution could be seen as limiting free speech. KEITH