WE note with great interest the recent developments surrounding the Malaysian Primus Inter Pares, PM Najib Tun Razak and his key visits to the United States of America - at the invitation of President Donald Trump, and to the United Kingdom to visit Prime Minister Theresa May to discuss common issues and renew Malaysia's bilateral relationships with both countries' new leaders.
Recent weeks leading up to the visit had seen a vehement stepping up of media and political attacks ranging from the quintessential (but lately quieting down) 1MDB allegations, to the more absurd telling-to of President Trump on the demerits of PM Najib Tun Razak's very important visit to deter the President from going ahead with the planned meet - all of those efforts having by now been proven to have been a major waste of time and resources, not to mention credibility.
Some claims even pointed out to the possibility that the visit was solicited through a large sum of money paid to lobbyists, while ignoring the fact that it was President Trump himself who extended the invitation to PM Najib.
Plus, it is important to note that contrary to some wild rumours circulating in the Malaysian political conversation, PM Najib was not arrested during his visit.
We happily select some of the news articles surrounding this whole episode, and we hope you will enjoy the story by hindsight as we in the Panel had as this drama was unfolding.
Grab some 🍿, sit back and enjoy this latest episode in "How the Malaysian Coup Facepalmed and How the Plotters Got Butthurt", brought you by the Malaysian Dungu Action Party (DAP) and their attendants in Pakatan Har^pan.
– The NINE QUESTIONS Panel
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1.
2. RELATED: OPPOSITION FINDS IT HARD TO ACCEPT NAJIB'S SUCCESSFUL VISIT TO WASHINGTON: ANALYSTS
3. RELATED: WASHINGTON INSIDER: MALAYSIA LIKELY PAID FOR ACCESS TO TRUMP
4. RELATED: HERE'S WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP SHOULD TELL THE MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER
5. RELATED: NAJIB-TRUMP MEET AN EXPENSIVE SHOW AT OUR EXPENSE
6. RELATED: NAJIB HAILS SHARED US-MALAYSIA VALUES, STRESSES NEED FOR GLOBAL ACTION ON ROHINGYA
7. RELATED: AS PM NAJIB VISITS WASHINGTON, MORE THAN JUST A SHOW
8. RELATED: WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED ON NAJIB'S TRIP TO WASHINGTON
9. RELATED: NAJIB-THERESA MEETING REAFFIRM STRONG MALAYSIA-UK TIES
10. RELATED: NAJIB MEETS THERESA MAY IN LONDON
11. RELATED: NAJIB AND THERESA MAY REAFFIRM STRONG MALAYSIA-UK TIES
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WHY NAJIB'S WASHINGTON VISIT WAS A SUCCESS
REPORTED BY THE MALAY MAIL
| US President Donald Trump welcoming Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to the White House in Washington, September 12, 2017. Photo: Reuters |
KUALA LUMPUR, SEPTEMBER 16, 2017 –
I never intended to write this piece but the nonsense that I have been reading on social media in the past three days has compelled me to put to writing to separate fact from fiction.
I was part of the Malaysian press corp that covered the trip and before anyone says it, I will tell you that every single newspaper and TV station paid for their own trip and not the government.
So do not accuse me of being bribed.
How long did they meet?
Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his team met with President Donald Trump and his senior Cabinet members for over 50 minutes of which the Prime Minister met President Trump one-to-one for 20 minutes.
Many critics have pointed to the five-minute video and transcript released by the White House, presuming that it was the only amount of time Najib and team got from their American host.