Hadi’s US meddling claim can hurt PN’s ‘govt-in-waiting’ image, say analysts
While unlikely to hurt Malaysia-US ties, they say the allegation could raise questions about PN’s readiness to govern and make the country appealing to investors.
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has alleged that the US embassy once offered to assist the party in toppling the Barisan Nasional government in 2014 during former US president Barack Obama's visit to Malaysia. Analysts suggest that Hadi's claim may not harm US-Malaysia relations but could raise concerns about Perikatan Nasional's credibility as a future government.
Asrul Hadi, an associate vice-president at The Asia Group, stated that the PAS must substantiate serious allegations with solid evidence and be cautious in its foreign policy rhetoric to establish itself as a viable alternative administration. Hadi's remarks, intended mainly for domestic political consumption, may have broader implications.
As Singapore Institute of International Affairs' senior fellow Oh Ei Sun pointed out, Malaysia's trade-dependent economy necessitates investor confidence and positive relations with major partners, including the US. While Hadi's claim is unlikely to impact these ties significantly, it may not generate much political traction for Hadi either, as Malaysian voters generally show little interest in foreign affairs beyond issues involving Palestine.
Nevertheless, foreign investors remain apprehensive about the potential implications of a PAS government, based on feedback received from the investors. University of Tasmania's James Chin noted that an investigation into Hadi's claim is unlikely to produce definitive results, as the former US ambassador involved is no longer in Malaysia and Washington has already refuted the allegations.
The controversy began with Hadi's statement at PAS's 72nd muktamar in Kelantan, where he claimed that then-PAS assistant secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan and Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, PAS's political secretary at the time, met with the US embassy to accept the offer. However, Takiyuddin and Samsuri rejected the proposal, according to Hadi.
The US embassy has since denied Hadi's allegation, emphasizing that the US never sought to determine Malaysia's political leadership.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Hadi’s US meddling claim can hurt PN’s ‘govt-in-waiting’ image, say analysts freemalaysiatoday.com
