In meeting to thank Malaysia for help following recent US destroyer accident, President Donald Trump says he is looking forward to meeting with PM Najib Razak next month.
PETALING JAYA: United States President Donald Trump met with Malaysia’s National Security Council director-general, General Zulkifeli Muhammad Zin and Malaysian ambassador to the US Zulhasnan Rafique in the White House yesterday.
A press release by the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur showed a photo with Zulkifeli and Zulhasnan flanking Trump in the famous Oval Office.
According to the US embassy, the meeting was organised to thank the Malaysian government for its efforts in helping to recover the fallen US sailors from USS John S McCain.
On Monday, it was reported that 10 US sailors were missing and five injured after their destroyer collided with a tanker east of Singapore.
Subsequently, both Malaysia and Singapore assisted in rescue and recovery efforts.
The Malaysian coastguard – which along with the Malaysian navy is involved in the search – have basic equipment, relying only on binoculars and keen eyesight.
“We don’t have any special sensors to detect bodies in the sea, we have to do everything by sight,” Captain Amran Daud, a Malaysian coastguard official, was reported as telling AFP yesterday.
In the meeting yesterday, Trump also told Zulhasnan and Zulkifeli that he was looking forward to meeting with Prime Minister Najib Razak in Washington DC next month.
On Wednesday, the White House released a statement saying the two leaders will be meeting on Sept 12.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), which first reported the plan for a meeting, said Najib has been eager to emphasise his friendship with Trump at a time of US scrutiny over alleged corruption in the Malaysian administration.
Reuters reported yesterday that the US Department of Justice (DoJ) has been conducting a criminal probe of 1MDB, a fund founded by Najib, which is facing money-laundering probes in at least six countries, including the United States, Switzerland and Singapore.
In civil lawsuits, DoJ has sought to seize a total of about US$1.7 billion in assets it says were purchased with funds allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB. -FMT
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