Putrajaya disagrees with proposal to host Apec in the US

Putrajaya disagrees with Washington's suggestion to host the  Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in the US next year following the cancellation of the summit that was to be held in Chile this month.

Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had called him recently to ask about the suggestion to host Apec in the US in January.

"Pompeo made a call to me when we were in Bangkok asking for Malaysia's position because Chile was unable to host the Apec and that the US was thinking of hosting the summit sometime next year in the US," Saifuddin told reporters in Parliament today. 

"But I have informed the American officials while they were in Bangkok that we do not think it is a good idea." 

He was responding to a question from Economic Affairs Minister Azmin Ali who had earlier said Wisma Putra was studying the reasons behind the "special summit" which US President Donald Trump wanted to host.

Saifuddin had said he was not sure what this "special summit" was about.

"I am not so sure which one, I know President Trump through his special envoy to the Asean summit sent a letter to the prime minister and I am told that it is about an invitation to something in the US, but I am not privy to the letter," he said, before revealing Pompeo's call about Apec.

It was reported previously that Trump had invited Asean leaders to a "special summit" in the US in the first quarter of next year. No other details are known about this summit.

Trump has skipped the Asean-US summit for the past two years.

Asked whether future invitations from Trump will be considered, Saifuddin said he was not privy to these invitations and it would depend on the details.

"But if it is about Apec, then the answer is no," he said.

Chile had called off the Apec summit scheduled in Santiago on Nov 16 and 17 due to anti-government protests there.

Malaysia is to host the Apec summit next year. Malaysia last hosted the summit in 1998.- Mkini