STOP YOUR VAIN BOASTING, TRUMP DOESN’T EVEN KNOW WHERE MALAYSIA IS LOCATED: NAJIB TICKED OFF FOR HIS GRAND DELUSIONS BY ISLAMIC EXPERT

PETALING JAYA – US-based scholar Nader Hashemi has advised Prime Minister Najib Razak to end his friendship with Donald Trump, saying the American president couldn’t care less about Malaysia.

“I suspect Trump cannot even locate Malaysia on the map,” he told FMT.

He was commenting on the US decision against adding Malaysia or any other country to the current list of nations enjoying its visa waiver.

Hashemi, an expert on Islamic politics currently attached to the University of Denver, said he believed Trump viewed Malaysia as an insignificant country on the global stage.

He described the US decision as a “huge setback” for the people of Malaysia.

He said: “Najib has repeatedly referred to Trump, his crass anti-Muslim bigotry notwithstanding, as ‘my friend’. It’s clear now that Najib’s friendship is not reciprocated by Trump.”

He recalled that Najib, during his visit to the White House last September, lobbied hard for Malaysia’s inclusion in the no-visa programme.

“Malaysia has met all the relevant conditions to qualify and there were promises made that it would be added to the visa waiver list in 2018,” he said. “We now know this will not be happening.”

Asked whether Malaysia’s stance on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict or instances of talibanism in the country had anything to do with the US decision, Hashemi said he did not believe this was the case.

“In my view, the reason for this decision has nothing to do with the expansion of Wahhabi Islam in Malaysia, which is a huge problem on its own,” he said. “Nor does it have anything do with the question of Jerusalem.”

He described the Malaysian government’s position on Palestine as “superficial”, saying Putrajaya “did did not even have the courage to summon the US ambassador in KL to issue a protest” after Trump announced Washington’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

– FMT