Malaysian government should lodge a strong  protest with Bush Administration and demand removal of Malaysia from the new US Immigration blacklist of 15 “terrorist risk” countries which is the worst possible international branding of Malaysia as a terrorist state

(Penang, Wednesday): When Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi met United States Vice President Dick Cheney in Washington last week, Abdullah said that Malaysia does not like to be branded as a terrorist state or as having links with terrorists or any such profiling.

He said Malaysia should not be viewed as a terrorist nation merely based on reports that say certain people in Malaysia had links with terrorist groups abroad and that  actions taken by Malaysia in tackling the terrorism threat were evidence of its firm stand against terrorism and terrorists.

Unfortunately, Abdullah’s words not only fell on deaf ears, it is now evident that when Abdullah made the pitch to Cheney that Malaysia does not like to be branded as a terrorist state, the Bush Administration had already taken a policy decision to blacklist Malaysia from October 1  and lumped it in the group of  15 “terrorist-risk” countries warranting the special screening by US Immigration  of  visitors from  the country, treating them like common criminals where they would be finger-printed, photographed and tracked.

The Malaysian government should lodge a strong protest and demand removal of Malaysia from the new US Immigration blacklist of 15 “terrorist risk” countries which is the worst possible international branding of Malaysia as a terrorist state.  

Before September  5 this year,  only four countries  were regarded by the US as terrorist-sponsoring states, namely Iraq, Iran, Sudan and Libya,  whose visitors to the United States were blacklisted and subject to special screening. 

After October 1, Malaysia will be in the expanded list of 15 “terrorist-risk” countries  and  “visiting aliens” who had travelled to these countries would be subject to special screening, like being finger-printed, photographed and tracked, “if they can’t credibly explain their trips there”.  

Although the new US Immigration  ruling does not automatically apply  to Malaysians visiting the US, the blacklisting of  Malaysia in the list of 15 “terrorist-risk” states from October 1 would have at least three adverse effects to Malaysia and Malaysians: 

• Firstly, Malaysians visiting the United States would be subject to considerable inconvenience and hardships as they can expect a more unfriendly and hostile immigration treatment.  Stories of the  unpleasant experience of Malaysians when they had  to  run the gauntlet of US Immigration authorities, subject to  prolonged hours of  rough handling, solitary confinement,  questioning,  harassment and even denial of food  in total disregard of their human rights would become  commonplace.  
• Secondly, the international branding of Malaysia as one of the 15 “terrorist-risk” states blacklisted by the US Immigration would create or fortify  the misperception among Americans about Malaysia as a terrorist state, making life for Malaysian visitors to the US  generally uncomfortable and unpleasant, as they would be looked askance as “putative” terrorists. Not many Americans will be able to see the fine distinction between  a “terrorist state” and a  “terrorist-risk state”.
• Thirdly, the international branding of Malaysia as one of the 15 “terrorist-risk” states would be detrimental to enhance Malaysia’s attractiveness as a destination for foreign direct investments (FDI) particularly at a time when Malaysia is facing a FDI crisis, with FDIs plunging from RM9.4 billion in 1999 to RM6.7 billion in 2000, RM1.1 billion in 2001 and RM3 billion in 2002.  In contrast, FDI in  Singapore last year  climbed by 59 per cent to US$9 billion or RM34.2 billion – i.e. more than ten times the FDI into Malaysia.  

Malaysians are entitled to know the reasons as to why Malaysia has been branded as a terrorist state by being blacklisted by the US Justice Department in its new list of 15 “terrorist-risk” states. 

Nobody suggests that the Philippines should be included in the new US blacklist of “terrorist-risk” states, but Malaysians must wonder  why Malaysia is included in the blacklist when Philippines is not, as the general impression is that the Philippines is  more “terrorist-risky” than Malaysia.  

Furthermore, if the meeting of two September 11 hijackers, Khalid al-Midhar and Nawaz al-Hazmi as well as other al Qaeda operatives in Malaysia is the cause for Malaysia being blacklisted in the new US “terrorist-risk” states, then why is Germany excluded when it was undoubtedly used as a haven and launching pad for the September 11 terrorist attacks? 

Or has Malaysia been blacklisted as one of the 15  “terrorist-risk” states because Malaysia has not been as co-operative with the United States in its war against terrorism, as up to now the Malaysian authorities have denied the existence of al Qaede cells and networks in Malaysia?  

Or has it anything to do with the “929 Declaration” of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at the Gerakan national assembly on September 29 last year that Malaysia is an Islamic State?  

(25/9/2002)