VZCZCXRO8972
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHKL #0061/01 0301026
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 301026Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2293
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 2563
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 2735
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0575
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0863
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 2619
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 000061 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
FOR EAP/MTS AND INR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KPAO SCUL MY
SUBJECT: MALAYSIA CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC OVER PRESIDENT OBAMA 
 
REF: A. A. KUALA LUMPUR 23 -- PARLIAMENT CONDEMNS ISRAEL 
     ¶B. B. KUALA LUMPUR 16 -- PM CONVOKES UNSC AMBASSADORS 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) Malaysians have enthusiastically but cautiously 
welcomed President Barack Obama as the 44th President of the 
United States.  Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi and his 
expected successor, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, have 
both pledged to work closely with the Obama Administration, 
and expressed hope that the U.S. would take a new approach 
towards global issues.  Malaysians and Americans gathered at 
a well-attended inauguration event hosted by the American 
Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) and widely covered by the press. 
 The President's January 26 Al-Arabiya interview attracted 
less press attention and some skepticism regarding future 
U.S. policy in the Middle East. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Comment:  The Malaysian mainstream press, heavily 
influenced by the government, is cautiously optimistic about 
President Obama, as is the public in general.  There is a 
wait-and-see attitude, however, regarding the U.S. role in 
the Middle East coupled with continued public attention to 
the situation in Gaza.  End Summary and Comment. 
 
Abdullah, Najib Pledge to Work with Obama, Hope for Change 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Both PM Abdullah and DPM Najib were quick to hail 
President Obama and his new administration.  The PM 
commented, "I welcome his inaugural speech and I am sure 
there will be a big change in the foreign policy of the 
United States, especially on certain aspects that are 
regarded as very confrontational."  The PM also viewed 
Obama's inaugural comments directed towards the Muslim world 
as positive.  DPM Najib, who will take over as PM in late 
March, also hoped "to see the U.S. getting other states into 
its discussions and not acting unilaterally or only with 
those in the coalition of the willing."  Najib also noted "we 
hope President Obama can take on a combination of both soft 
and hard power to tackle issues." 
 
¶4.  (U) The Foreign Ministry's Strategic Plan, released 
January 29, includes notation that "Malaysia is looking 
forward to enhancing its bilateral relations and cooperation 
with the U.S." under the new U.S. Administration (septel). 
 
 
 
Kuala Lumpur Americans Celebrate at Inaugural Breakfast 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The American Chamber of Commerce in Malaysia and the 
American Association of Malaysia invited Ambassador Keith to 
address a large group of Malaysians and Americans at a 
January 21 inaugural event.  Over 150 of Kuala Lumpur,s 
Malaysian-American business leaders and members of the 
American community gathered to mark the start of the next era 
in American politics.  The event featured a video of 
President Obama,s inaugural speech and remarks by Ambassador 
Keith.  A large group of press attended the event, which was 
well covered in the local media. 
 
 
Malaysian Press Cautiously Optimistic 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) After consistent negative press coverage of the U.S. 
during the recent Gaza fighting (reftels), Malaysia,s major 
dailies provided significant coverage of the U.S. 
inauguration.  The accompanying commentary and editorials 
were cautiously optimistic.  The inauguration was the top 
story in local broadcast and print media on January 21. 
Major dailies devoted their front pages and, in some cases, 
their first several pages to Obama,s swearing-in as the 44th 
American president.  Local media also utilized the press 
opportunity presented by the January 21 AmCham inauguration 
event to add local flavor to their coverage of the 
inauguration.  Television news on the evening of January 21, 
as well the next day,s print media gave broad coverage of 
the AmCham event, and focused on Ambassador Keith,s comments 
 
KUALA LUMP 00000061  002 OF 002 
 
 
in response to the Malaysian press, many questions on the 
situation in Gaza. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Beyond the headlines, articles on the inside pages 
of most major dailies around the inauguration stressed the 
challenges that face President Obama and a new U.S. 
Administration, and the cautious hope that he will be up to 
the challenge.  A January 21 editorial in the 
government-influenced Malay language daily Berita Harian 
entitled, "Bush, most hated in modern history," expressed 
hope for the new President:  "The international community 
placed their hopes on the new President Barack Hussein Obama, 
mainly because they wanted a return of America as a friendly 
nation, a model nation that depicts good values and a fighter 
(for) justice and freedom throughout the world.  In this 
spirit, we thus wish, Welcome back, America."  This sentiment 
was echoed by the ruling party's leading Malay language daily 
Utusan Malaysia in its editorial, saying that Obama "needs to 
prove to his people that they did not make a mistake in 
electing him, and to the world that it was not wishful 
thinking on their part when they pinned their hopes on him. 
May what Obama said in his inaugural address not be just more 
rhetoric." 
 
¶8. (SBU) On January 22, leading Chinese language daily Sin 
Chew Daily in its editorial stated that Obama,s inauguration 
address was "a pragmatic speech that sought to reposition the 
United States in a new responsible era."  The editorial went 
on to explain that "in his speech, President Obama also 
mentions that the future of a nation is a collective choice 
of all its citizens....  As Malaysia is also going through 
economic and social challenges, President Obama,s 
inauguration speech should give Malaysians new thought to 
take up responsibility as citizens in this new era." 
 
¶9. (SBU) An editorial in the independent Chinese language 
daily Kwong Wah Jit Poh expressed the "sincere hope that in 
the coming four years, President Obama will play his role as 
a true, humble, and righteous statesman in making a change 
for his country as well as the international community." 
 
 
The People Have their Say 
------------------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) From commentary and letters from readers in 
Malaysia,s major dailies, both English and vernacular, it is 
clear that the Malaysian public was very focused on Barack 
Obama during and in the days immediately following the 
inauguration.  One reader noted that Obama "is after all 
still a creature of U.S. politics, which is defined by 
several key issues, such as its reluctance to be tied to many 
global initiatives and its support for Israel," but continued 
by stating "the world hopes that Obama, with his global 
roots, will be less xenophobic, be more inclusive even in its 
America-first policy and be a consensus builder...many are 
giving the United States another chance...." 
 
Malaysian Press Coverage of Al-Arabiya Interview 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶11. (SBU) Following President Obama's January 26 interview 
with Al-Arabiya, only a handful of editorials in the 
Malaysian press made reference to it, mainly in the 
Malay-language dailies.  While generally positive, with one 
piece commenting that "the Muslim world is besotted with 
Obama's 'Islamic' persona," the Malay press also registered 
considerable skepticism as to how the perceived encouraging 
tone of the new U.S. Administration would be translated into 
action.  Several mentions of the Obama interview were made 
within news articles highlighting reactions by Iranian 
President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad to Obama's televised message to 
the Muslim world, stating that "for Mahmoud, it (referring to 
Obama's talk of reaching a solution to nuclear developments 
in Iran through negotiations) is nothing more than a strategy 
by Obama to gain political mileage."  Septel will provide 
additional details. 
KEITH