In a move that could be interpreted as a gradual shift in stance, the United States today expressed the view that the Anwar issue is no longer an irritant in its relations with Malaysia.

US ambassador to Malaysia Marie Huhtala said that, while the US maintains the position that the Anwar trials were flawed, the bilateral relationship between the two countries has "moved on from the Anwar issue."

In the past, US foreign policy with regard to Malaysia has always been consistent in stating that ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim did not receive a fair trial and that he was jailed for his political opposition to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The US' expression of outrage and, in return, anger from Malaysia made no secret of the fact that the Anwar issue was a true irritant in bilateral relations, said Huhtala when asked on the matter.

Anwar, who is serving a jail term totalling 15 years for sodomy and corruption, has maintained that he is a victim of a political conspiracy to oust him from the government.

'Agree to disagree'

She explained that the US and Malaysian governments have since arrived at an understanding on the Anwar issue, with both sides "agreeing to disagree".

"We take the position that the trials were flawed, but we don't say that we support Anwar, or that reformasi is good for Malaysia," said the US ambassador at a forum on 'US foreign policy after Sept 11', organised by the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations.

However, she added that the US has accepted the Malaysian government's explanation that the trial was conducted based on the rule of law.

In fact, Huhtala stressed that the bilateral relations between the two countries can become even closer, despite the fact that they may not see eye-to-eye on certain issues. She added that the US expects to continue to have "lively dialogues" with all of its friends.

On July 30 this year, US Secretary of State Colin Powell had also said during his trip to Malaysia that the Anwar trials were "flawed", but accepted Malaysia's explanation that it had followed the rule of law.

Political prisoner

In Washington on May 15 this year, US President George W Bush said he still believed that Anwar was a political prisoner. Bush suggested this when he replied in the affirmative to a reporter's question on whether the US maintains that Anwar was jailed primarily for his political opposition to the prime minister.

The US seemed to have presented a radically different position from that in November 1998 when ex-US vice-president Al Gore caused an uproar at the Apec conference in Kuala Lumpur as he expressed support for the "brave Malaysians" calling for reformasi in the streets of the capital.

Days prior, then US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright had sparred publicly with Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz over her (Albright) plans to visit Anwar's wife.

Huhtala's speech at the forum today also touched on the growing relationship between US and Asean on military cooperation in line with US plans to build a regional centre to combat terrorism.

In addition, she spoke on US' role in the re-building of Afghanistan, support for a solution for Palestine and its position vis--vis Iraq.

Huhtala said that, the US will not allow the threat of Iraq to go unchecked. Although currently the state has no battle-plan response, it will still proceed with care and deliberation.

She also said the primary considerations in US policy on Iraq are concerns with Iraq's capacity to build weapons of mass destruction and the threat that it poses to the entire Middle East region.