VZCZCXRO8353
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHKL #0478/01 1652335
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 142335Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2852
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 000478 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EAP/PD AND EAP/MTS 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KISL KPAO SOCI MY
SUBJECT: MALAYSIANS LAUD PRESIDENT'S CAIRO SPEECH, QUESTION WHETHER 
U.S. CAN DELIVER 
 
¶1.  (U)  SUMMARY:  Prime Minister Najib Razak, speaking to the press 
on June 11, welcomed President Obama's Cairo address and efforts to 
"mend the rift between the Muslim world and the West" while noting 
the importance of concrete measures, and offered Malaysia's 
cooperation with US. efforts.  Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, 
speaking to the BBC on June 4, praised the President's remarks on 
democracy and rule of law, but noted that the world would need to 
see whether the President could deliver on actions to help end the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  Malaysian media coverage of President 
Obama's speech to the Muslim world was widespread and generally 
positive.  Most print and television media outlets focused on "a new 
beginning" between the U.S. and the Muslim world, with pointed 
caveats about the situations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and especially 
Palestine.  Editorial comment was robust; many writers questioned 
whether the President can deliver on his promises.  Post efforts to 
promote the speech included a speech-viewing gathering at the Charg 
d'Affaires home and new media outreach to contacts.  END SUMMARY. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
PM NAJIB WELCOMES SPEECH, ASKS 
FOR CONCRETE ACTIONS 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶2.  (U)  One week after the President's Cairo address, which 
included a positive reference to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Prime 
Minister Najib Razak publicly welcomed the President's remarks to 
Muslim communities.  On June 11, Malaysian Government news service 
Bernama headlined, "Malaysia Welcomes Obama's Plan," and reported 
Prime Minister Najib's comments, "I think his speech was good but it 
is important to back it with concrete measures.  Malaysia is 
prepared to cooperate with the US to achieve this."  On June 12, 
government-controlled English-language daily New Straits Times 
reported that the Prime Minister is supportive of President Obama's 
goal to heal the rift between the West and Islamic world, and 
reported additional comments from Najib, "I welcome Obama's speech 
where he spoke of new beginnings between the U.S. and Muslims 
worldwide.  It promises a new beginning, based on mutual respect and 
truthfulness...It is most welcoming that Obama said the U.S. would 
not wage a war against the Muslim world, or Islam."  Najib lauded 
Obama's acknowledgement of the Palestinian aspiration for dignity 
and their right to sovereignty, and he also applauded the President 
for acknowledging Islam's contributions to science and art. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
OPPOSITION LEADER CITES 
"IMPORTANT BEGINNING" 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶3.  (U)  Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, speaking with the BBC on 
June 4 immediately after the President's address, generally praised 
the speech as a "very important beginning" and said the President's 
remarks on democracy and rule of law would "resonate well with the 
Muslim world."  He cautioned that the world would need to see 
whether the President could deliver on concrete actions to help end 
the Israeli Palestinian conflict and address fundamental Palestinian 
concerns.  Anwar expressed hope that Muslim leaders would 
reciprocate the President's positive initiative. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
POSITIVE COVERAGE, 
CAVEATS ABOUT PALESTINE 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶4.  (U)  Many Malaysians saw excerpts of or read about President 
Obama's speech in major English, Malaysian and Chinese language 
print, television and radio outlets.  Television coverage of 
President Obama's speech in Cairo was favorable.  On June 4, 
government-owned Bahasa Malaysia- and English-language Radio 
Television Malaysia (RTM) hailed the speech as, "A new beginning in 
ties between the United States and the Muslim world," and focused on 
Palestine, combating extremism in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and 
partnership, vice patronage, with Iraq.  Most Bahasa Malaysia- and 
English-language television stations ran stories on the speech deep 
in their broadcasts. 
 
¶5.  (U)  Many print outlets carried positive headlines over wire 
service stories.  On June 5, the front page of government-controlled 
English-language daily New Straits Times heralded, "This cycle of 
suspicion and discord must end," and on its inside pages, headlined 
"Quest for a new age of peace."  On June 5, government-influenced 
English-language daily Star ran on its inside pages, "Obama: Make 
the change -- U.S. President urges young Muslims to shun violence." 
Journalist Shahanaaz Sher Habib, who interviewed the President in 
Cairo on an R-arranged trip, also wrote two positive articles in the 
June 5 and 6 editions of the Star that also referenced the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  After lauding the President's 
message, she wrote, "The U.S. President... is offering sweet words, 
a vision, and more importantly hope.  And the Muslim world, hungry 
for solutions, is lapping it all up.  But the question is: can he 
deliver?" 
 
KUALA LUMP 00000478  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶6.  (U)  Government-controlled English-language daily New Straits 
Times ran additional positive reactions from professors and civil 
society representatives.  One usually anti-American commentator, 
Chandra Muzaffar, President of International Movement for a Just 
World (JUST), praised President Obama for fighting negative 
stereotypes about Islam, but noted that the U.S. should exert more 
pressure on Israel to freeze new settlements. 
 
¶7.  (U)  Radio newscasts in Malaysia are somewhat limited; however 
excerpts of the speech were carried by government-influenced 
English-language Red FM and government-owned Bahasa Malaysia- and 
English-language radio RTM.   After listening to long excerpts of 
the speech on RTM, one contact reported that it was the first time 
in her life that she had heard an American president on state-owned 
radio. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
OP-ED WRITERS POSITIVE, 
BUT SKEPTICAL 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶8.  (U)  Print editorial comment was copious, in contrast to the 
silent blogosphere.  Most coverage was positive, with some writers 
expressing delight at mention of Kuala Lumpur in the speech.  One 
common editorial caveat dwelled on President Obama's ability to 
deliver on his promises.  On June 6, government-influenced Bahasa 
Malaysia-language daily Berita Harian opined that "...if Obama 
successfully fulfills his promises, he will regain the confidence of 
the Muslim world."  Government-controlled Bahasa Malaysia-language 
daily Utusan Malaysia commented on June 7 that, "the President and 
the Muslim world must be ready to face challenging tasks ahead" and, 
surprisingly, despite its usual partisan tone, acknowledged that 
"Middle East peace is a joint effort between Israel and Palestine." 
On June 12, a Berita Harian op-ed headline read, "Demand for Obama's 
promises not to remain only in rhetoric," under which the author 
commented that "the speech was uplifting... but has not succeeded in 
stopping the fighting between warring Islamic factions in Pakistan 
nor stop inter-religious squabbles in Thailand." 
Government-influenced Chinese-language daily China Press commented 
on June 5 that assuaging the Israeli-Palestinian relationship will 
not be a smooth ride for Obama as Netanyahu is not compromising. 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT: 
POST OUTREACH ACTIVITIES 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶9.  (U)  400 contacts received an SMS message during the speech to 
advise them how they could respond to Obama's message.  Hundreds of 
contacts received a letter alerting them to the speech; as a result, 
traffic to the Ambassador's blog increased.  Under a cover letter 
from the Ambassador, the Embassy distributed the speech 
electronically to key contacts on June 5. 
¶10.  (U)  Audience reaction at a speech-viewing event hosted by the 
Charg d'Affaires was generally positive; most interlocutors were 
somewhat critical of President Obama's comments on Israel and 
Palestine.  A moderate businessman noted that Obama's speech laid 
the foundation for a better relationship between the U.S. and the 
Muslim world, while an editor at a major Bahasa Malaysia-language 
daily reacted negatively to Obama's comment about the USG's 
"unbreakable relationship with Israel."  One conservative Muslim NGO 
leader commented that the U.S. was trying to be more responsible in 
the world and was happily incredulous that the President 
acknowledged Islam's contributions to science; however, he also 
criticized Obama's comments on Palestine, strongly arguing that the 
USG should not place preconditions on Hamas in negotiations with 
Israel.   In a comment prescient of most editorial reaction, a 
ruling party supporter noted that what Obama does in the Muslim 
world will be more important than what he says, especially in 
Palestine. 
 
RAPSON