Meeting at US embassy shouldn’t be seen as interference, says Nazri

 The former envoy to the US says such discussions, as claimed by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, are a 'norm in diplomatic practice'.

Nazri Aziz, who was the Malaysian ambassador to the US for two years from February 2023, said NGOs, rather than embassies, were more likely to try and meddle in other countries’ domestic affairs. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang told the truth regarding the 2014 meeting with representatives from the US embassy, but such routine conversations do not constitute foreign intervention, former Malaysian ambassador to the US Nazri Aziz said.

Nazri said foreign diplomats and civil society groups routinely engage with opposition leaders to understand the local political landscape.

He said such discussions were a norm in diplomatic practice.

“Even if it is the US embassy and its ambassador, it is just a conversation, not an interference,” Nazri, who was the ambassador to the US from February 2023 to February 2025, told FMT.

He said if there were any party that attempted to meddle in domestic affairs, it was typically NGOs rather than embassies.

He suggested that foreign NGOs may have at one time viewed former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad as an authoritarian, leading them to engage opposition figures on democratic reforms and political change.

Nazri’s remarks follow a denial by the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur that it had offered assistance to overthrow the government during former president Barack Obama’s visit in 2014.

Hadi made the claim at the close of the 72nd PAS muktamar in Kelantan on Sunday.

Three police reports had been lodged against Hadi, and earlier today, his political secretary said Bukit Aman had contacted Hadi regarding the matter.

“Tok Guru (Hadi) has been informed and is ready to give the police his full cooperation. The date and time (for this) will be determined,” Bachok MP Syahir Sulaiman said.

Barisan Nasional secretary-general Zambry Abd Kadir was also reported as saying the coalition would not be commenting on Hadi’s claim, and would leave it to the public to assess it. - FMT