Reezal: M’sia’s blossoming relationship with China not unrequited
PARLIAMENT The blossoming relationship between Malaysia and China is not a tale of unrequited love, but rather, a tale as old as time, or so says a deputy minister.
Deputy Foreign Minister Reezal Merican Naina Merican said the modern relationship began in 1974 and since then both Malaysia and China have been there for each other.
“When China was a closed economy and its growth was not that high, among the first entrepreneurs to open up business there is (Malaysian sugar tycoon) Robert Kuok. This had a huge impact.
PARLIAMENT The blossoming relationship between Malaysia and China is not a tale of unrequited love, but rather, a tale as old as time, or so says a deputy minister.
Deputy Foreign Minister Reezal Merican Naina Merican said the modern relationship began in 1974 and since then both Malaysia and China have been there for each other.
“When China was a closed economy and its growth was not that high, among the first entrepreneurs to open up business there is (Malaysian sugar tycoon) Robert Kuok. This had a huge impact.
“When China rose in the past 10 years, Malaysia was given special attention because of its involvement when the world wasn’t paying attention to China.
“Don’t say that only we are turning to China, but China also acknowledges us,” Reezal told the House today.
He was responding to a question on whether Malaysia’s foreign policy was shifting towards closer ties with China.
This comes amid Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s working visit to China, during which he signed off on bilateral agreements for 14 projects worth a total of RM144 billion.
Some have speculated that this is an attempt to mend ties with China, after Malaysia signed the American-led Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).
There’s also speculation that Malaysia is turning to China after the US Department Of Justice civil suits which implicate Najib’s stepson Riza Aziz, and an unnamed official which has been identified as the premier, in the alleged misappropriation of 1MDB funds.
This sentiment was fueled further when Najib penned an article urging “former colonial powers” not to try and meddle in the internal affairs of former colonies.
However Reezal gave a vague response when asked by Charles Santiago (DAP-Klang) whether the prime minister was telling the US to “mind their own business”.
The deputy minister said that Najib was sending a “signal” reaffirming Malaysia’s sovereignty.
“What the PM said is a signal that we won't bow to any country’s pressure (dictating) who we can befriend and have diplomatic ties with,” he said.
