After the Pope, Obama ....

The visit to the Pope that culminated into Vatican City establishing diplomatic relation didn't start on the right foot.

Apostolic Nancio to Malaysia, Archbishop Joseph Salvador Marino expressed support to the Malaysian Catholic Church for their position on the "Allah" issue. That created uproar for it is  tantamount to interfering in the domestic affair of Malaysia a country.

Foreign Minister, Dato Anifah Aman issued a strong statement and  the Archbishop met Anifah yesterday to express apology. That should be the end of it but one Tan Sri text us to wonder why must Anifah be the one to issue the statement?

Shouldn't the Archbishop himself be issuing his apology? Why must the leadership kept looking like a fool ....

The Malay Mail report, below:

MALAYSIA

Vatican envoy sorry for misunderstanding over Allah issue

BY RITA JONG
JULY 16, 2013

The Vatican’s envoy to Malaysia today asked Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman to convey his apologies if his comments on the “Allah” issue have caused any misunderstanding and inconvenience.

Archbishop Joseph Marino said he never intended to interfere in the internal affairs of Malaysia.

The archbishop said this in a statement after he was summoned to Wisma Putra this afternoon.

Prior to the meeting today, Anifah had issued a strongly worded statement over the alleged meddling into the “Allah” controversy which he deemed to be Malaysia’s internal affair.

Archbishop Marino, in his first interview last week as the Apostolic Nuncio, the Vatican equivalent to an ambassador, had stirred controversy with his comments on the use of the word “Allah”.

He indicated that the Christian Federation of Malaysia had presented a “logical and acceptable” argument to counter the argument by Muslims that “Allah” was exclusive to Islam.

He stated his support for the stand of the Catholic Church in Malaysia and backed the arguments made by the Christian Federation of Malaysia.

Earlier today Sabah MP Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin, echoing calls from Malay non-governmental organisations, urged the government to “chase” Archbishop Marino from the country.

He accused the Vatican envoy of disrupting the country’s unity.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin also jumped on the bandwagon, almost repeating what Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman had said about the matter.

Khairy, speaking in his capacity as the BN Youth leader, said Wisma Putra should issue a protest note to the archbishop for purportedly supporting the use of the term “Allah” by Christians.

“It’s a national problem which is still being debated. The archbishop (Joseph Marino) is not helping the situation at all. His statement could complicate the situation.”

Muslim groups, led by Jati and Perkasa, even called for the government to close the Vatican office and “chase” Marino out of the country.

In a Press conference earlier today, leaders of both groups said Muslim groups will submit a protest note on Friday to reprimand the envoy for being “insensitive”.

They hope Archbishop Marino will personally receive the protest note at the embassy in Kuala Lumpur after Friday prayers.

The president of Muslim non-governmental organisation NGO Muafakat, Ismail Mina Ahmad, told a Malay daily over the weekend that the envoy was not a very smart person for discussing a domestic Malaysian subject which was still under the purview of the courts. – July 16, 2013.

All these messy bit because someone up there are not thorough in their decision making despite known to wait for all fact and information to come in and make a decision at the last minute.

It is as though they do not have the grasp on issues that the basic facts and background information are not in their mind or they are devoid of driving principles to guide their decision making.

Is someone so overawed to get an audience with the Pope and perhaps leverage on the visit for political gain that they could not see the big picture or on-going international political game? Or is it a case of him being advised but only listen to some myopic little rascal?

That is the case of meeting the Pope.

Over the years, since 2009, the mainstream media have been playing up the news everytime Prime Minister Dato Najib Tun Abdul Razak met US President Barrack Obama.

He first met Obama at a Nuclear Security Summit in Washington on April 12, 2010. The media depicted it as an important significant improvement in relations. It is only the first one-on-one meeting between the Prime Minister of a small country and President of an intrusive superpower.

All the talk of Obama sought further assistance from Malaysia in stemming nuclear proliferation as the greatest threat to world security and Najib expressed that Malaysia only supported nuclear programmes designed for peaceful purposes means nothing.

Then they met again at the ASEAN-APEC leaders at the ASEAN and East Asia Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia on November 18th, 2010.

The media reported Washington's appreciation towards Malaysia's role as a progressive Islamic nation in international affairs. It must mean something to get to hear the appreciation and hope of an American President. 

Later on November 13, 2011 it was only photo op with the host at the APEC Summit in Honalulu, US. Datin Seri get to be pictured with Michelle Obama.

Bernama reported "Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak held a series of productive meetings prior to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit which included deepening ties with Russia, raising Malaysia's profile among top American and Apec chief executive officers and most significantly fast-tracking negotiations for an ambitious Trans–Pacific Partnership."

Raising profile? Fast tracking TPP?

US pushed for TPP be concluded by July 2012. Read MI here.

On November 20, 2012, Dato Najib met Obama at the Trans-Pacific Partnership Leaders' Meeting in Phnom Penh.

Najib told the media when he met Obama, he said, "During the meeting, I requested Obama to act in ending the current violence in Gaza and find short-term and medium-term solutions based on the two-state solution (as proposed by the United Nations) as the basis for the conflict resolution."

Obama informed him that morning that he had made several telephone calls last night to stop the violence. Sure ... it is freedom for Palestine now.

Will TPP bring freedom to Malaysia?

Off late, he has been quite cordial. Najib received a surprise call from Obama on May 14 this year to congratulate and acknowledge BN's victory at May 5th General election. It is an affirmation to BN's victory.

He also confirmed his participation in the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Kuala Lumpur beginning October 11. It will certainly raise Dato Najib and Malaysia's profile but for what?

But, the US president also touched on the TPP. He looked forward towards an early conclusion of the initiative or in common language, he wants it sign fast by October.

Najib called to congratulated Obama for the US's 237th Independence Day on July 5th Malaysian time. They have had 237 years of freedom but we are still at the 56th year.

10 days later and on July 15th, the 18th round of TPP negotiation is on-going in Kota Kinabalu and the Sabahan are clueless as to the presence of PAS and other NGOs protesting.

The negotiation is supposed to conclude by the 25th and signed by October. Heard the dateline is October 25th.

The whole Government machinery is being hyped and primed for Obama's arrival that no one seemed to bother to prepare the 2014 budget which is supposed to be tabled in Spetember or October.

The fear now is that since Dato Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis was appointed Ambassador to the US for 2009 till February 2013, Najib has been seen to hard to please the Americans.

BN seemed be emulating the American with an election campaign like that of an American Presidential election.

Najib was even photographed kissing cats like Obama, Clinton, Dubya Bush, and many other Presidents have pet dogs.

The public worries ...

Najib must have the nation on his mind and people in his heart and not try to please Obama. He must realise that ...

Let's not allow Obama to think that we are a ...

Because we are not, especially the rakyat.

MITI has given their assurances [read here and here]. The rakyat are still worried because Najib only listen and tend to succumb to the view of only those wrong inexperienced people who live in fairy tales and not grounded in reality [read here and here.]

Of late, he has been making many strange decisions and appointments. He allows wrong things to happen and wrong people to get high positions despite BN getting the mandate again to rule and govern the country.

Listen to the more experienced and wiser one. And listen to the rakyat [read here, here and here.]

Bring the issue and discussion on TPPA out in the open. Take it to Parliament. No more mysterious negotiation and secretive on the details behind the public eyes. This affect the country and rakyat.

JJ and American didulukan?