VZCZCXRO2437
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHKL #0467/01 0711107
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 121107Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8738
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY
RUEHKL/ISLAMIC CONFERENCE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 000467 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP AND NEA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/12/2017 
TAGS: PREL ETTC KISL KNNP OIC IS PK IR MY
SUBJECT: MALAYSIAN OIC DIPLOMAT ON HAMAS VISIT, PAKISTAN, 
IRAN 
 
REF: A. KUALA LUMPUR 419 - POSSIBLE FM VISIT TO BAGHDAD 
 
     ¶B. KUALA LUMPUR 417 - HAMAS VISIT 
     ¶C. KUALA LUMPUR 382 - MALAYSIA POSITION ON IRAN 
        UNCHANGED BY IAEA REPORT 
     ¶D. KUALA LUMPUR 381 - PAKISTAN INITIATIVE 
     ¶E. 06 KUALA LUMPUR 2271 - MALAYSIA'S OIC ROLE 
 
Classified By: Political Section Chief Mark D. Clark, reasons 1.4 (b an 
d d). 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  (C) The March 3 visit of a senior Hamas leader was in 
line with Prime Minister Abdullah's desire to engage directly 
and in more detail on Middle East issues, Malaysia's senior 
OIC diplomat Ambassador Ibrahim Abdullah told polchief March 
¶9.  The Pakistan initiative represents a "repackaging" of the 
2002 Arab peace proposals, and the follow-up summit is in 
competition with the Arab Summit planned for March 28. 
During the February 22 OIC ministerial in Jeddah, Malaysia 
joined other OIC countries in blocking an Iranian attempt to 
have the OIC call for all Muslim nations to sever ties with 
Israel, despite press reports of statements by Foreign 
Minister Syed Hamid seeming to support such a measure. 
Malaysia backs calls for Iran to follow the IAEA rules of the 
road in developing a nuclear energy program, Ambassador 
Ibrahim stated.  Malaysia will join in a late March OIC 
meeting in Jeddah intended to forge unity among factions of 
the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) from the 
Philippines.  Ambassador Ibrahim did not indicate any GOM 
planning for diplomatic initiatives relative to Iraq or 
Afghanistan, but suggested Malaysia might respond positively 
to invitations from the two countries.  End Summary. 
 
Hamas Visit - A Wanted Surprise 
------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) Polchief called on Ambassador Ibrahim Abdullah, 
Malaysia's leading diplomat supporting Prime Minister 
Abdullah Badawi's role as Chairman of the Organization of the 
Islamic Conference (OIC), on March 9 and discussed a broad 
range of OIC and West Asia issues.  Ambassador Ibrahim noted 
that PM Abdullah's March 3 meeting with Hamas official Khalid 
Meshaal (ref B) reflected the Prime Minister's desire to 
engage directly and in more detail with Arab and West Asian 
leaders, rather than only through larger groupings like the 
OIC.  Ibrahim confirmed that Malaysia had only one day's 
notice to prepare for the Hamas visit.  The meeting was to 
have taken place in Damascus, during PM Abdullah's recent 
mission there, but the Hamas official was traveling at the 
time.  Palestinian President Abbas was generally aware of PM 
Abdullah's intention to speak with Hamas, and did not object, 
Ibrahim claimed.  PM Abdullah used the meeting to encourage 
Hamas to join in the formation of a unity government, and to 
learn more about challenges facing the Palestinian people. 
 
¶3.  (C) Ibrahim hoped the U.S. would release funding for the 
Palestinian Authority following the creation of a unity 
government and polchief asked whether Malaysia had encouraged 
Hamas to drop its position on the destruction of Israel. 
Ibrahim replied that Malaysia had not raised this issue, but 
he claimed Hamas' acceptance of the 2002 Arab peace plan and 
agreement to enter into a unity government with Fatah 
represented at least a tacit change in the Hamas' stance 
toward Israel.  As in our December 2006 meeting with Ibrahim 
(ref E), the Malaysian diplomat spoke of the need to undercut 
Hamas' legitimacy and to avoid actions that made Hamas into a 
martyr for the Palestinian cause. 
 
Pakistan Initiative - Repackaging the 2002 Plan 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶4.  (C) Ambassador Ibrahim, who attended the February 25 
meeting of foreign ministers in Islamabad, reiterated that 
the Pakistan Initiative appeared to be a "repackaging" of the 
2002 Arab peace plan (closely mirroring comments from another 
senior Malaysian official, ref D).  The meeting produced no 
clear consensus on any new measures.  The next step would be 
a summit in Mecca, but it remains to be seen if Saudi Arabia 
will convene this gathering before the Arab summit planned 
for March 28, also in Saudi Arabia.  Ibrahim implied that the 
Arab summit likely would undercut the Pakistan Initiative 
summit.  Ibrahim appeared pleased that Malaysia had increased 
its Middle East/West Asia profile through the Pakistan 
Initiative, but otherwise did not suggest the effort offered 
any promise. 
 
KUALA LUMP 00000467  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶5.  (C) Malaysia did not welcome the presence of OIC 
Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu at the Islamabad 
 
SIPDIS 
meeting as this had raised questions as to why all OIC 
members were not invited.  Ibrahim said that of late the OIC 
SecGen undertook activities based on his political ambitions 
back in Turkey, rather than on the interests of the OIC. 
Malaysia would hand over the OIC chairmanship to Senegal in 
March 2008, following recent confirmation that Senegal would 
be prepared to host the OIC hand over summit at that point. 
(Comment:  From this and earlier conversations, we are left 
with the impression of strained relations between Malaysia as 
the OIC chair and the OIC Secretary General.  End Comment.) 
 
Call to Sever Ties with Israel? 
------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C) Polchief asked Ibrahim regarding press reports of 
remarks attributed to Foreign Minister Syed Hamid during the 
February 22 OIC ministerial in Jeddah, in which the Foreign 
Minister seemingly supported calls for all OIC members to 
sever ties with Israel.  (Note:  Malaysia does not have 
diplomatic relations with Israel.  Hamid's "principled moves" 
in allegedly advocating an end to Muslim countries' relations 
with Israel drew praise in Malaysia from a prominent 
anti-West commentator.  End Note.)  Ambassador Ibrahim did 
not confirm or deny Hamid making such comments, but clarified 
that Iran had raised this subject and had attempted to insert 
it into the OIC meeting's declaration.  Malaysia joined all 
other countries in opposing Iran's language and the OIC did 
not include this in the final text. 
 
Iran Should Play by the Rules 
----------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (C) Polchief conveyed the latest U.S. perspectives on the 
Iran nuclear issue.  Emphasizing the U.S. focus on a 
diplomatic solution and our UNSC discussions, polchief urged 
Malaysia to use its communications with Iran to reinforce the 
notion that Iran must bring itself into compliance with IAEA 
rules and related UNSC resolutions.  Without mincing words 
about Iran's purported intentions, Ambassador Ibrahim stated 
clearly that Malaysia wants Iran to play by internationally 
agreed rules for developing nuclear technology, does not 
support Iran going outside the IAEA framework, and had said 
as much in confidential conversations with Iran at least as 
early as one year ago.  (Comment:  Another senior Malaysian 
diplomat told us recently that the latest IAEA report on 
Iran's non-compliance had not changed Malaysia's position on 
the issue, ref C.  End Comment.) 
 
Malaysia Would Consider Iraq, Afghan Invitations to Help 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶8.  (C) Polchief asked Ambassador Ibrahim regarding 
Malaysia's plans to engage with the Iraqi and Afghan 
governments.  Ibrahim said there were no plans, and he stated 
the GOM was not considering sending senior delegations to 
either country.  Malaysia, however, welcomed recent Iraqi 
parliamentary delegations and in the past had been glad to 
offer training to limited numbers of Iraqi diplomats.  One 
Malaysian NGO already was operational in Afghanistan.  While 
Malaysia was not poised to take new initiatives regarding 
Iraq and Afghanistan, it would consider invitations and 
requests for aid from the two countries.  The onus was on 
Baghdad and Kabul, Ibrahim said. 
 
OIC Addressing MNLF Unity 
------------------------- 
 
¶9.  (C) Ambassador Ibrahim noted that Malaysia would take 
part in an OIC meeting in late March in Jeddah aimed at 
unifying the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), an 
insurgent group which has splintered into factions following 
a peace deal with the Philippines government in 1996. 
Ibrahim said the MNLF's fracturing impeded security and 
development for Muslims in Mindanao. 
LAFLEUR