By Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak
The world today faces turbulence on many fronts. From
Harvey and Irma here in the United States, to the threats of nuclear
proliferation, radicalisation and new and ever-more barbarous acts of terrorism
around the globe, nations need firm partners and friends.
Najib: My nation, too, has been forced to address the threat of
Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), known as Daesh in my part of the world.
Which is why when Malaysia recently celebrated the 60th
anniversary of our independence, I was particularly pleased to receive this
message from the U.S. embassy in our capital, Kuala Lumpur: “So proud to be
your friends since the beginning!”
President Trump and I will be marking six decades of
strong bilateral ties when we meet at the White House on Tuesday, but the
relationship between our nations goes much further back in history.
Our rubber, for example, was crucial for the growth of
the American automobile industry, and that demand spurred our own economic
growth — an early example of a mutually beneficial partnership between our
countries.
The Malaysian-U.S. relationship, also goes far beyond
trade. What underpins decades of friendly, productive and cooperative relations
are the deep-seated values we share.
Our commitment to the fight against radicalization and
terror is something we feel in our hearts, as well as planning and implementing
our policies coolly and rationally.
Our belief in free and fair trade and inclusive economic
development is in our blood, as we have always been a seafaring, trading
nation, going back centuries.
And our adherence to stable, democratic governance is
shown in our history since independence. Our elections are fiercely contested,
just as they are in America, with different parties winning different states at
different times.
We also share the U.S.’s commitment to a rules-based
global order, such as North Korea abiding by U.N. Security Council Resolutions.
Taken together, these values are why our relationship was
formally elevated to an even higher level in 2014 as an official “Comprehensive
Partnership.”
This means that both countries are committed to
strengthening our cooperation on the political and diplomatic front, in trade
and investment, education and people-to-people ties, security and defense,
among others.
There is no better example of this partnership than our
shared efforts against violent extremism. The world changed on September 11,
2001, and America has suffered further attacks on its soil that were inspired
by that same false and poisonous ideology.
My nation, too, has been forced to address the threat of
Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), known as Daesh in my part of the world.
There has, so far, been only one successful Daesh-linked
attack in Malaysia (and, thankfully, no fatalities), but that has not been for
want of trying. Your enemy — those who blaspheme against the religion of a
majority of Malaysians by claiming their terrorism is Islamic — is our enemy,
too.
We have fought Daesh through the promotion of moderation,
and through a deradicalization program that has had a 90 percent success rate.
We have fought this through intelligence sharing and
counter-terrorism measures in our region and beyond. I am proud to say that the
Royal Malaysian Police has thwarted at least 13 major terrorist attacks since
2012.
And we have fought this through being a partner in the
U.S.-led global coalition to defeat Daesh, and through the strategic dialogue
between our Ministry of Defence and the Pentagon.
Rest assured, Malaysia will always stand
shoulder-to-shoulder with America on this vital mission to eliminate a terror
group whose acts sicken all of civilized humanity.
On the economic front, the U.S. was Malaysia’s third
largest trading partner in 2016, while Malaysia was the U.S.’s 18th largest.
Over the past nearly 40 years, America has been our
second largest foreign investor — and as a report from U.S. News and World
Report and Pennsylvania State University’s Wharton School recently declared
Malaysia to be top of its “best country to invest in.”
I hope to encourage even more Americans and U.S. firms to
see our country as a destination of great opportunity, with an eager, educated,
friendly and English-speaking workforce.
As any visitor to Malaysia will know, U.S. firms, banks,
brands, food and clothes are found everywhere in our country.
Malaysians are very familiar with the U.S. and, just as
in America, we are a mix of ethnicities and faiths who celebrate our cultures
while being united as proud Malaysians, just as every American is stirred by
the sight of the Stars and Stripes.
On a personal note, it is always a pleasure for me to be
in the U.S., a great country that I have visited countless times since my
youth.
I can still remember arriving in New York as a young
graduate and marvelling at the music, the food, the architecture and the sheer
vibrancy of the city.
My affection for your country has never dimmed, and the
same goes for the thousands of Malaysians who have lived, worked and studied in
America.
In my discussions with President Trump and others, I hope
to strengthen our ties even further. For if America wishes to find a partner
for peace, for prosperity and for security in the coming decades of the 21st
century, it will find a staunch and steadfast friend in Malaysia.
Here’s to the next 60 years. - September 12, 2017
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