Obama vows to raise transparency issues with PM
Published on: Saturday, November 21, 2015
Kuala Lumpur: United States President Barack Obama will raise concerns with Datuk Seri Najib Razak on the transparency and independence of investigating agencies and the media probing into a political scandal plaguing the country.Obama said this at the town hall session Friday to a young Malaysian participant who had asked the president's assistance in raising the issue with Najib.He said even without the request, he would raise concerns about democratic abuse. "I will do it. I was going to do it anyway. But since you asked, I will definitely do it."
ADVERTISEMENT
He was asked the question during the town hall session with the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative.The young man told Obama that Malaysia was embroiled in a political scandal and its frail justice system could not right it.He asked Obama to raise the issue with Najib, to encourage transparency and independence of agencies like the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, Public Accounts Committee, central bank Bank Negara Malaysia and the media.Obama said the US had to tread carefully as there were times they were told not to meddle in other countries' internal affairs.
ADVERTISEMENT
He also said that there were times when the US did the wrong thing."But I do believe that there are basic values that we all share, and one of this is that countries work best when everybody has a voice that can be respected.
ADVERTISEMENT
"And that the press is able to report on what is happening in current affairs."And people can organise politically and peacefully to try to bring about change and that there is transparency and accountability," he told the young crowd from 10 Southeast Asian countries today.Obama said that whenever he met with leaders, he would always encourage them to move in the direction of transparency and accountability to empower people.He said that he could not avoid doing business with certain countries just because he did not agree with their human rights record for instance."I have to meet with president Xi of China even though I don't agree the approach of his government to human rights."There are occasions everywhere in the world where I would meet and the US has a relationship and cooperates with a country even though their human rights record may not be good."But I want to assure you that in all of those meetings, we always raise these issues," he said. Obama also revealed that he doesn't dye his hair, unlike some leaders he could name, but would not."The first thing I want from young people is to stop calling me old. Come on, you hurt my feelings," he joked after a Cambodian student asked him for sage advice "since you yourself are aging to a very senior life"."When I came into office I had no grey hair and now I have a lot...I don't dye my hair and a lot of my fellow leaders do. I won't say who. But their barbers know, their hairdressers."Obama's hair was black without a trace of grey when he took office in January 2009. A leader's true hair colour has sometimes been a matter of controversy.One secret former President Ronald Reagan took with him to his grave was whether he dyed his midnight-black hair. Reagan always denied he hued his hair and interviews with his barber never proved otherwise.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
