Malaysia’s PM Anwar in Caught in Saudi Gaffe

By: Murray Hunter

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim ended up being embarrassed final week on a publicly unannounced journey to Mecca, with senior Saudi officers seeming virtually to have ignored him, igniting instant gossip in Kuala Lumpur and sparking a requirement by the opposition for a parliamentary clarification of what went fallacious.

“The reality is – nobody besides these concerned with the journey know what went fallacious,” mentioned a Kuala Lumpur-based political analyst. “Nevertheless it’s a catastrophe. We are going to hear extra within the subsequent few days. Nothing is sacred or secret right here.” 

Anwar started his quietly deliberate journey to Saudi Arabia on March 21, with folks within the know across the administrative capital Putra Jaya uncertain whether or not the journey was personal or official. Anwar and his spouse have been formally touring to carry out the Umrah, generally thought of the “lesser pilgrimage” each Muslim should make to the holy floor. It was additionally thought their daughter Nurul Izzah had traveled by a industrial flight to hitch her dad and mom to carry out the ceremony.

Arriving in Jeddah within the morning of March 22, Anwar was greeted on the Worldwide Airport solely by Jeddah’s governor, Prince Saud bin Abdullah, the primary signal that the go to was supposed as a working journey, moderately than a personal one. On the identical day, the Malaysian Ministry of International Affairs issued a press launch stating that Anwar’s go to was the results of an invite by the prime minister, the Crown Prince and de facto ruler of the dominion, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, identified universally by his initials MBS. The press assertion went additional, stating Anwar would have audiences together with his Majesty the King as effectively.

The go to got here on prime of Anwar’s announcement in February, after International Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir met together with his counterpart Faisal bin Farhan in Riyadh, that Malaysia and Saudi Arabia have agreed to finalize talks on establishing a Saudi Arabian-Malaysian Coordination Council to take the bilateral relationship to the subsequent stage.

Consequently, there have been some expectations of an historic announcement throughout Anwar’s go to. Certainly, it appeared that Zambry had set issues up for his boss to have a serious media coup throughout his go to. The Malaysian media appeared to select up curiosity, with all of Anwar’s conferences reported hourly. Nevertheless, because the hours wore on, it turned clear that there was nonetheless no assembly, or perhaps a dinner, the night breaking of the Ramadan quick, with both MBS or different prime officers.

On the afternoon of March 25, it turned clear there could be no assembly. The Malaysian authorities information company Bernama mentioned the scheduled assembly with the king and crown prince/prime minister couldn’t happen due to a change of their scheduling throughout the starting of Ramadan.

“Zambry is sort of out of his depth in international affairs (or another ministry for that matter),” mentioned a longtime former prime Malaysian diplomat. “On the Saudi go to, nonetheless, my sources in diplomatic circles say that Wisma Putra had knowledgeable the prime minister’s workplace that the timing was not handy and that there was a great likelihood a gathering with MBS couldn’t be scheduled. However Anwar’s folks insisted on going forward, satisfied that the Saudis would by some means discover a while. It was for political functions; merely to burnish his Islamic credentials for a home viewers in view of all of the previous allegations in opposition to him. Not for no purpose did he arrive in Jeddah wearing umrah apparel when umrah is carried out in Mecca. His program was not price speaking about and definitely not well worth the journey though his workplace is attempting to spin it. However he’ll survive this diplomatic blunder.”

Anwar advised the media he was disillusioned to not meet the Saudi leaders, however had been requested to increase his keep by two days for a rescheduled assembly. Nevertheless, the Malaysian chief advised reporters he was compelled to return to Malaysia for a buka puasa. or breaking of quick with Malaysia’s king, the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, and had a scheduled one-day go to to Cambodia. So an extension of keep was inconceivable.

Consequently, Anwar and his group carried out prayers on the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah and have been seen off at Abdulaziz Worldwide Airport by Prince Saud bin Khalid Al-Faisal, the deputy governor of Madinah, hardly the sendoff that de rigueur would point out for a departing head of state.

Some posit that Saudi irritation over the scrapping of the King Salman Centre for Worldwide Peace (KSCIP) in KL by the earlier Pakatan Harapan authorities underneath Mahathir Mohamed was the rationale. Anwar’s spouse, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was then deputy prime minister. One other difficulty was the pressure over 1Malaysia Improvement Bhd, the government-backed funding fund which collapsed massively, taking Saudi funds down with it. However in contrast, saddled with the identical points, former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin acquired very totally different therapy, and he was house minister underneath Mahathir.

Center East professional and Saudi watcher, James M. Dorsey reductions this. From Dorsey’s viewpoint what occurred, or didn’t occur is a ‘thriller.’

Nevertheless, what should be famous is that on March 25, Anwar had a press convention saying he would assessment the KSCIP resolution, which he claims he didn’t agree with on the time.

This isn’t the primary time controversy has accompanied a state go to by a Malaysian chief. Diplomats final 12 months bungled former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s go to to the United Arab Emirates to attend a commerce expo, embarrassingly with no UAE officers to satisfy with him on his arrival on the airport. It’s very possible comparable blunders occurred earlier than Anwar’s go to. There’s phrase that the preparations have been rushed, with even the journey deliberate at comparatively quick discover.

The late launch of the press assertion appears to point poor coordination though probably the most sinister clarification entails sabotage – some diplomats and/or civil servants who’ve loyalties in the direction of Muhyiddin and the Perikatan Nasional authorities ousted by Anwar’s forces in November 2022 elections. If certainly that’s the case, it was a sabotage widespread to a civil service that spent a long time being cosseted by political forces hostile to reformists and significantly Anwar.

It doesn’t matter whether or not Anwar’s failure to satisfy with the Saudi management was due to diplomatic pique, incompetence and disorganization, or sabotage. He would properly have elected to not make the go to if diplomatic dangers have been concerned. The gaffe in Saudi Arabia is already producing political flak from the PN opposition. Mahathir Mohd Rais, PN’s Federal Territories Info Chief, was quoted as saying that in 2021 that Muhyiddin was greeted on the airport by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and granted entry to the Kaaba, a uncommon honor reserved for heads of state and eminent Muslim figures’. Rais went on to say that ‘Anwar’s go to raises professional considerations in regards to the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional (PH-BN) administration diplomatic capabilities and affect on the Malaysia-Saudi relationship’.

Pakatan Harapan’s international minister Zambry, an UMNO stalwart whose diplomatic credentials don’t appear to increase previous his service as Perak chief minister and as Secretary-Normal of the now-collapsed Barisan Nasional, appears hardly the person for such a delicate put up presenting Malaysia’s face to the world. A rising refrain of critics is questioning what he’s doing there. Zambry is at the moment with Anwar in Cambodia, hoping to drag off successful that can assist cowl up the fiasco in Saudi final week. On March 29, Zambry will even accompany Anwar on the state go to to China, the place it’s hoped that Chinese language hospitality will assist folks neglect final week. Nevertheless, insiders in Kuala Lumpur say the journey is equally underprepared. Anwar requested his workers to give you funding packages to be introduced, probably the export of the pungent durian fruit and a few as-yet association over electrical vehicles. However, the sources mentioned, as earlier than, offers are prone to be introduced however by no means delivered. One supply mentioned he’s prone to should accept a photograph op. Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong is due in Beijing at virtually the identical time and is definite to much better ready.

One blogger, Syed Akbar Ali, who’s often within the ‘know’ described the go to to Saudi Arabia as a poorly thought-out junket, with the conferences with Saudi Arabia’s leaders by no means going to occur. Bersatu MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Hamid Kamal has sought discover for a public debate in parliament on the matter. The speaker has accepted the movement.