Donald Trump's tweet is just common courtesy. So does the one by Dato Najib. Hope pro-government supporters not make out too much of it.
However, the statements made during the meeting and subsequent statements after the meeting should not be looked too simplistically.
Malaysians have a tendency to be too political, or more precisely, low level political practises that tend to be simplistic, arguing based on one liner with good soundbytes, and over induging in perception play meant to appeal to common folks' logic.
Applying that thinking to international relations and geoglobal politics is plain dumb. Off course there are more intelligent Malaysians that look to core issue of politics - facts and figures, but then geoglobal politics is a different ball of wax.
Malaysia strengthening US economy?
It may not be the most politically correct way of putting it but lets not suffer from simpleton thinking. Tolerate for a while and consider it the strategic importance. Bear in mind, Dato Najib is talking across the table to Donald Trump.
Naturally, his words will be known to the public, but Najib neds to appeal to a new US Presidente that is not a politicians or far from a diplomat or diplomatic but a businessman. He has to make his message simple for the gung ho tycoon to understand.
This trip is about both side sizing up each other. Trump see the strategic value of Malaysia and perhaps, is concerned with China's massive investment in Malaysia. Our side need to understand this new "most powerful man in the world".
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| Mahathir protege? |
Stop thinking like the quarrelsome Tun Dr Mahathir who makes enemies with everyone, in Malaysia and globally, and inconsistently U-turn on his every words and lifetime positions.
A qualification should be in order. He has friends, and very friendly with the likes of Suharto, Mugabe, Castro, Gaddafi, etc. Yes, all have similarity - draconian and cruel dictators.
His past antics caused headache to the country. And Malaysia would have been in a far better economic position had he not abuse his position to allow for massive economic leakages and endlessly not stopped quarreling!
That is the reason he was never invited by the US to visit and US President and many major leaders never visited Malaysia but do so during Najib's time. Najib did not have to get tan Sri Vincent Tan to pay lobbyist Jack Abram RM5 million to meet the US President.
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| People do business with friends. Do not make enemies! |
Business and economic ties strives on good relationship and friendship. No one do business with enemies. It is a simple logic that anyone can understand.
The message our side delivered is we have been friends for a long 60years and appealing to something Trump understand, which is economics and business.
This is economic diplomacy in play to appeal to his agenda to "Make America great again". Those not following the US election will make simplistic assumption.
Lets make it simple.
Commentators will complain and it is no less than Matthias Chang who in the private WA message he viralled around too make the remark why should we be helping the US economy when we too are struggling.
Again, this is simplistic diplomacy that could appeal Trump.
When other country invest in our country, it strengthen our economy. In turn, when we invest in the US, we strengthen their economy in a way - big or small.
The investment mentioned was the purchase of Boeing planes - new Dreamliners and 737 models and investment by EPF and Khazanah.
Since Malaysian Airlines is not a public listed company, no news was heard. Only it is known that MAS need to replenish its old airplanes. Heard the plan was Air Bus. But, that is a business decision and one either buy from the US or Europe (for Airbus).
No other way for such size airplanes. Explanation in Lim Sian FB here.
At least, we did not do the dumb thing of buying 88 A4 Skywak in 1984 from the Arizona desert dumpster.
Investing in US is nothing new
Then the issue of EPF and Khazanah investments with mentioning of rebuilding American infrastructure.
Global diversification by EPF and various funds in Malaysia is not new. (read Syed Agil FB here). It has been much talked about in the days of Mahathir and in fact, EPF have portfolio investment in the US for the past 25 years. Is that not Mahathir time?
As at March 2017, EPF investment portfolio is RM737.17 billion with return of RM11.79 billion. Overseas global diversification fund is 29%.
Lazy to elaborate over why the need for global diversification. It is needed to get better returns and in the case of Battersea in the UK, KWAP invested 3 billion punds and got back 3 billion. And there is the foreign gain to be calculated in.
The Malaysian investment in Battersea was RM43.78 billion.
Oversea investment is necessary because it is exposure to the top economies and companies in the world are not listed in Malaysia. Top companies in the world are in US and China (Read Syed Agil FB here) and Malaysia befriend both!
Funds have targeted return to meet investors expectation but the local market do not have enough stocks that meet such criteria and EPF will end-up owning all the stocks, including dead cats, if it is invested only in Malaysia.
The additional investments is in sync with the increasing portfolio size. While, Khazanah is reinvesting their recouped investment in their foreign investment in Ali Baba.com. [Read LSS FB here).
Not only EPF, KWAP and Khazanah invest abroad, many mutual funds and unit trusts invest abroad with few funds launched dedicated to overseas investment for Malaysian public.
These Cap Bunga commentators are really unschooled.
By the way Azmin, just cause you secured additional investment from IKEA, do not boast from a long effort by MITI. They are already here!
Perhaps, he not realise China, Saudi Arabia investment which they claimed "jual negara". Now they say "gadai negara" kepada US. Wonder what would happen if more major cash rich countries that refused to invest during the time of Mahathr pour more money in Malaysia.
This fake Ivana Trump tweeter is humourous.
Geo-global politics
One has to accept that trade and investment at the global level is economics and geoglobal politics. US is an important trading partner and our 3rd biggest export destination. Malaysia is their 18th biggest.
Such gesture could be useful in attracting their Fortune 500 Companies to do business and invest more in Malaysia. (Read The Malay Mail Online here.)
Trade has been in our favour but we need to manage the geoglobal politics. Investing in the US is a diplomatic gesture. We need the US in for security and support to address current and potential international disputes.
The extremist Islamic insurgents affects both US and Malaysia. ISIS is a potential security threat for Malaysia. That was the core of our reason to support American war against terrorism.
During the trip, Malaysia highlighted our support for the US to stop trade with North Korea to Trump. It has geo-global strategic value beyond the murder of the North Koran Leader's brother.
It is South China Sea! And Malaysia need to balance the two superpowers (read here).
As far as Myanmar issue, contrary to Rafizi's allegation that it was not discussed, Luknman Sheriff FB here debunked him. Read NYT here.
Related to the NYT report, staying over at the Trump hotel in Washington was not at the request of Trump but as arranged by Malaysian Embassy. It is 2 block from White House, and is certainly nothing wrong. Just convenient location and good diplomatic gesture.
To debunk more of Rafizi's endless nonsensical remarks to dupe his gullible young followers. Anyway he is politically irrelevant - prison soon and rejected by PKR.
This is not a state visit as it does not involve Agong, but it is official visit and it is stupid to be called casual visit with serious bilateral matters discussed.
The White House website here.
It is not 30 minutes but the meeting was 45 minutes. It is longer with opening the pleasantaries and subsequent PC to read the communiques.
It is written in nicely worded diplomatic language not easy for the common folks to comprehed the real and core issue.
For those detractors of Najib, including Clare Brown and Soros network media that got spooked into thinking this is about resolving 1MDB, White House made it clear the visit has nothing to do with it.. It is apolitical (read NST here).
That means it is all geoglobal politics at work. So lets not bother on the tie colour comment and non existence BERSIH demonstration. Just annother breed of Rafizi.
By the way, Matthias, Datin Seri Rosmah was not left behind by Trump, Najib and Melania. Stupid of you. The wives do not attend such serious official meetings. She went to visit the Feynman School in Rockville Maryland for gifted children.