RISIKKAN FEER

Amerika Tegur Malaysia

(U.S. Admonishes Malaysia)

Amerika Syarikat dan Malaysia ternyata mempunyai tanggapan kefahaman yang berbeda mengenai keadaan hubungan antara mereka.

Menteri Luar Malaysia, Syed Hamid Albar memberitahu para wartawan selepas pertemuan dengan Setiausaha Negara Amerika, Colin Powell, pada 16 hb Julai lepas bahawa pentadbiran Presiden George W. Bush 'lebih melihat kedepan' daripada pentadbiran Clinton.

'Para pegawai A.S. 'menyebut mengenai Anwar tetapi ia bukan agenda utama' daripada mesyuarat selama 45 minit itu,' kata Syed Hamid sambil merujuk kepada Anwar, bekas Timbalan Perdana Menteri yang kini terpenjara, yang memohon kebenaran kerajaan untuk keluar negara bagi mendapatkan khidmat pembedahan pada sakit belakangnya yang amat perit itu.

Bagaimanapun kenyataan pegawai Amerika bercanggah dengan keterangan Syed Hamid. Ia menyebut Collin telah menegaskan dengan begitu terang sekali bahawa sebarang usaha untuk membaiki hubungan dan mengatur pertemuan antara Bush dan Perdana Menteri Mahathir Mohammad bergantung kepada tiga isu penting:

1. layanan kerajaan terhadap Anwar
   
   

2. cara kerajaan menangani pihak pembangkang (enam aktivis pembangkang dan seorang pelajar kini merengkok tanpa dibicarakan di bawah akta kejam ISA) dan
   

3. pelengahan pelepasan berita terbitan asing untuk sebaran dalam Malaysia.
   

Menurut seorang diplomat Asian yang diberi taklimat mengenai pertemuan yang begitu tegang di Majlis Keselamatan Kebangsaan (National Security Council - NSC) itu, Syed Hamid bertanya mengenai kemungkinan diadakan pertemuan antara Mahathir dan Bush di mesyuarat forum APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) di Shanghai pada bulan Oktober nanti. Itu telah dijawab dengan begitu keras oleh Timbalan Pengarah NSC, Steve Hadley:

'Pertamanya, anda mesti melakukan apa yang perlu dilakukan terlebih dahulu'.

Terjemahan: Pemburu Kata

Asal:

http://www.feer.com/0108_02/p008intell.html

FEER INTELLIGENCE

Issue cover-dated August 02, 2001

U.S. Admonishes Malaysia

The United States and Malaysia have distinctly different understandings of the state of their relations. Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar told journalists after meeting U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on July 16 that President George W. Bush's administration is "more forward looking" than the Clinton administration. U.S. officials "mentioned Anwar but it wasn't a core element" of the 45-minute meeting, Syed Hamid said, referring to imprisoned former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who has requested permission to travel abroad for surgery on his ailing back. U.S. officials contradict Syed Hamid's description, saying Powell made it clear that any efforts at improving relations and arranging a meeting between Bush and Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad depended on three issues: the government's treatment of Anwar, its handling of the opposition (six opposition activists and one student are currently being held without trial under the Internal Security Act), and delays in its release of foreign news publications for circulation in Malaysia. According to an Asian diplomat who was briefed about a tense meeting at the National Security Council, Syed Hamid asked about a possible meeting between Mahathir and Bush at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum meeting in Shanghai in October. "You first have to do what has to be done," replied NSC Deputy Director Steve Hadley.