KUALA LUMPUR – The Dewan Rakyat witnessed a lecture session when Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir opted to educate Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal (Machang-PN) on the significance of the three demarches Malaysia received from the United States.
Stressing that the demarches are something that must be taken seriously, the minister explained that the demarches are not delivered “in a vacuum”, but with cause and effect factors behind the representations.
“It’s not that the demarches were suddenly sent. There are reasons why they were sent under the current context of a serious crisis by a big power. We cannot take the demarches lightly,” Zambry said in his Budget 2024 winding-up speech in Parliament today.
He said this when answering Wan Fayhsal’s query on why Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (Tambun-PH) had appeared to “dramatise” the reveal of the demarches in the lower House yesterday.
“I had the time to speak with Sembrong (Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein), who was formerly a defence and foreign minister.
“He told me that demarches are a normal practice in democracy and not as dramatic as what Tambun (Anwar) said (yesterday). If it’s true that the demarches are a national threat, then it should be dealt with properly by Wisma Putra,” said Wan Fayhsal.
In response, Zambry also said Malaysia is deliberating on its next move to respond to the demarches in a way that will best convey Malaysia’s stance which supports the Palestinian struggle.
“The first demarche was followed by a second and then a third, followed by what happened with our ambassador (Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz) in Washington,” he said, referring to the US calling up Nazri on October 18.
“Depending on the context, (the demarches) cannot be regarded as a regular thing. It’s something serious that will require Malaysia to take the next steps. Some say we have to send a protest note or summon their (US) ambassador. We’ll use the best means to state our stand.
“The demarches asked us to state our stand (on the Palestine-Israel war) and asked us to express our sympathy (with Israel). No, Malaysia’s principal position in the context of the Palestinian struggle has been clear! It’s nothing new.”
Earlier, Nazri responded to Wan Fayhsal that a demarche may constitute a threat or otherwise, depending on its contents, adding: “If Wan Fayhsal doesn’t know better, then he should not talk at all.”
Nazri also confirmed that the US State Department has expressed its uneasiness over the statements issued by Anwar that condemn Israel and label the Zionist regime as terrorists, noting that the Western nation had requested Malaysia issue a statement of being sympathetic towards Israel.
Yesterday, Anwar told the Parliament that US had pressed Malaysia three times – on October 13, 18 and 30 – to reconsider its stance that Hamas are “terrorists”.
A demarche is a formal diplomatic representation of one government’s official position, views, or wishes on a given subject to an appropriate official in another government or international organisation.
Demarches generally seek to persuade, inform, or gather information from a foreign government, or to protest or object to actions by another government.
Malaysia has been on the receiving end of criticism and warnings from various parties in the US and Europe, but Anwar had said Malaysia would not yield to such threats. – November 1, 2023