Can Anwar Escape Hairdryer Treatment At White House

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 Last week, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that he had written to US President Donald Trump, seeking his support to organise a meeting between Asean and the United States.
It is unlikely that Trump will accord US-Asean status, as he prefers bilateral trade negotiations between individual countries, believing he will have better negotiating power and perhaps have it easier to shout down.
However, if Anwar believes it will be a repeat of the orchestrated trip by former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak in 2017, where the latter, among others, offered to help Trump "make America great again", he is mistaken.
Although Najib told Parliament that he did not pay to meet Trump, it was subsequently revealed in court hearings that Grammy Award-winning rapper Prakazrel "Pras" Michel of the Fugees hip-hop group was convicted for conspiring with Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) to orchestrate a series of foreign lobbying campaigns aimed at influencing the US government.
ADSMichel was charged with 10 counts of crimes, including conspiracy, acting as an agent of a foreign government, witness tampering, and falsifying campaign finance records.
Prosecutors accused him of plotting with the Malaysian businessperson to attempt to influence the administrations of US presidents Barack Obama and Trump.
Najib offered to contribute in terms of ideological warfare because you need to win the hearts and minds and make the US safe – and with that, the world safe.
Donald Trump and Najib Abdul Razak in 2017"We are committed to fighting IS, Al-Qaeda, Abu Sayyaf - you name it. They are the enemy of the United States; they are also the enemy of Malaysia, and we will do our part to make sure that our part of the world is safe.
"…the key to it is to support moderate and progressive Muslim regimes and governments around the world because that is the true face of Islam; that is the authentic face of Islam.
“The more you align with progressive and moderate regimes, the better it would be in terms of winning the hearts and minds of the Muslim world," Najib told Trump during their meeting at the White House Cabinet Room almost a decade ago.
Cutting hospitality
However, if Anwar secures the appointment with Trump, he must be prepared to risk the possibility of receiving the "South African" treatment.
Last month, in an extraordinary Oval Office meeting, Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with a doctored video promoting claims of a “white genocide” in South Africa.
The meeting turned tense after the Trump administration screened the documentary. Responding to the footage, Ramaphosa said the chants don't represent government policy.
Ramaphosa and his delegation went to Washington hoping for a boost and a reset after months of acrimony with the Trump administration.
Instead, they engaged in brutal, high-stakes diplomacy peppered with insults and played out to millions worldwide in real-time. It was like a painful job review conducted by a boss on the microphone.
ADSTrump's claims of white genocide conflict with the actual racial persecution and massacres that took place during the two centuries of colonisation and nearly 50 years of apartheid in South Africa.
Anwar’s proposed meeting with Trump will be far different from the usual shouting down at those who choose to disagree. Remember the infamous incident where Anwar shouted down a student who asked for meritocracy in education?
The prime minister cut the student off before she could explain, saying he already understood the question and had already answered a similar question.
Anwar also said the student should have refrained from discussing the quota system and instead should have pointed out specific cases of non-Malays being denied entry, allowing the government to address the situation.
Showing receipts
Could someone indifferent to opinions and ideas withstand a “lecture” from Trump or US vice-president JD Vance, who made a cameo appearance in the meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky?
What if Trump orders the lights to be dimmed during Anwar's meeting and plays various videotapes of Malaysians throwing insults at the US and burning its flag outside the embassy?
How will Anwar address the issue of his links to Hamas leaders, which he has made no secret of? What if such support of Hamas is rightly or wrongly interpreted as antisemitic by Trump?
Anwar Ibrahim with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed last yearWhat about the calls made by various quarters to boycott American brands and products, which have had a severe impact on businesses? Isn't seeking trade asking for discounts on tariffs with the same country condescending?
What if reports of racial and religious discrimination in Malaysia were in front of the cameras for the world to see, as was the case with Ramaphosa and Zelensky before him?
Although such claims may be exaggerated, the damage done to Malaysia's reputation as a moderate nation will be significant.
Whatever happens at the meeting, and if it does happen, like Najib's “triumphant return” after meeting Trump in 2017, the usual rent-a-crowd mob will be at the airport with banners reading: “Selamat Kembali, Wira Malaysia.” - Mkini
R NADESWARAN is a veteran journalist who tries to live up to the ethos of civil rights leader John Lewis: “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.” Comments: [email protected]
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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