After a decade-and-a-half of persecution by Umno, Anwar Ibrahim still doesn’t get it - he is no longer a darling to Washington as he used to be as deputy prime minister and a rising star in the international arena.

Barack Obama’s historic visit to Malaysia - the first by a US president in nearly half a century - this weekend is no mean feat on the part of Najib Abdul Razak, whose legitimacy as head of government has been repeatedly questioned both domestically and internationally since his coalition failed to secure more than half of the votes in the general election last year.

Obama’s arrival therefore will give credence to a prime minister who has been embroiled in one scandal after another.

To the dismay of the opposition camp, Obama will not be meeting Anwar and it is clearly a slap in the face.

But why should Malaysians who yearn for change be so upset with Obama’s snub?

Like it or not, America’s foreign policy has never been so altruistic, or driven by democracy, justice or human rights. Quite the contrary, it is realpolitik that decides who a US president should meet or not meet.

Two months ago, US navy chief Admiral Jonathan W Greenert was in Malaysia for the first time, and was well received by his Malaysian counterpart Admiral Abdul Aziz Jaafar, who made it clear that Malaysia would want to see more US naval ships visiting the country as a sign of cordial relations.

Greenert’s courtesy call in fact represents part of the US’ widely stated aim of ‘pivot to Asia’, under which its presence in South-East Asia is all the more important.

The move has certainly unnerved China, and retaliation from Beijing cannot be ruled out.

It does not matter if closer military and technical cooperation between the two countries may trigger a new arms race in the region and disrupt the balance of power.

No, Obama’s whirlwind tour of Asia is never meant to enhance democratic values and human rights, let alone upholding justice. It is all about the controversial Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement and affirming the US’ pivotal role in the South China Sea.

Washington’s return to Asia

Seen in this light, Obama’s pledge of support to Japan over the disputed Senkkaku/Diaoyu islands is a clear indicator of Washington’s return to Asia, although the geostrategic stance entails severe implications for South-East Asia as a whole for it may undermine the negotiations on a Code of Conduct for the South China Sea, heighten China’s mistrust and put South-East Asian nations in a more difficult position.

Meanwhile, the US has ‘kindly’ offered to transfer USS Denver (LPD 9) to Malaysia, although the amphibious transport dock was built in 1965 and its equipment is far from modern these days. It was also involved in an accident in 2000 in Hawaii, in which it collided with tanker USNS Yukon and suffered damage. It would be wise for Malaysia to turn down the offer.

Politically, the US cannot care less about strengthening democratic process. It has given full support to the very Egyptian military that overthrew the democratically elected Mohamed Morsi in July last year, and for years embraced the authoritarian Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left in photo) of Turkey who put dozens of journalists behind bars.

Not to mention the utterly insane Iraq War that killed hundreds of thousands of innocent lives. When General Mark Kimmit was asked what he thought of the Iraqi children traumatised by the noise of US warplanes and bombs, he simply replied: “Tell them it’s the sound of freedom.”

Quite simply, Anwar’s glory days as a guest of honour at Washington have long gone - it began with the day when Mahathir Mohamad successfully bought himself an audience with George W Bush in the aftermath of the Sept 11 attacks. Alas, it seems hard for Anwar to come to terms with it.

If Obama is truly so concerned about the state of democracy in Malaysia, he would have asked Najib to lift the ban on public protest on UM campus. Obviously, he has not done so!

Take it easy lah Anwar. If Obama can regard the repressive and theocratic Saudi Arabia as a close ally, Najib is already like an angelic choirboy to him.

So stop crying over spilled milk, get real, and get down to real work. Period.


JOSH HONG studied politics at London Metropolitan University and the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. A keen watcher of domestic and international politics, he longs for a day when Malaysians will learn and master the art of self-mockery, and enjoy life to the full in spite of politicians.