Kuala Lumpur, March 27 — Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s visit to Saudi Arabia has been described as a “huge diplomatic blunder” by former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
Khairy said this was because Anwar failed to meet with the Saudi monarch, King Salman Abdulaziz Al-Saud as well as the Crown Prince Mohammed Salman Abdulaziz Al-Saud, who is also the Saudi Arabian prime minister.
“I agree with the opinion that (Anwar’s visit to Saudi Arabia) was a huge diplomatic blunder.”
“He was not supposed to visit Saudi Arabia if there was no fixed appointment set with King Salman or Mohammed Salman (crown prince),” Khairy said in an episode of the “Keluar Sekejap” podcast with Shahril Hamdan.
He said from his experience, a prime minister won’t visit any country unless there was confirmation to meet a counterpart from that country.
He also said Anwar’s failure to meet with his Saudi counterpart was not only an embarrassment to him, as the prime minister, but also to everyone in Malaysia.
The former Rembau MP said the visit was vital because Saudi Arabia is an important diplomatic partner to Malaysia as it holds a strong geopolitical presence and presents good business opportunities.
“Saudi Arabia plays an important role geopolitically and there are many opportunities for business and investment there that can involve companies from Malaysia and (due to the failed visit) it didn’t happen,” he said.
Yesterday, Bersatu’s Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal called for Anwar to inform Parliament about the outcome of his official visit to Saudi Arabia after it appeared that he did not meet with his counterpart there.
Anwar’s political secretary Ahmad Farhan Fauzi, however, said the prime minister’s visit was “fruitful” and had strengthened bilateral ties between both nations.
Despite Anwar’s aide’s having described the visit as fruitful, PKR’s Member of Parliament for Pasir Gudang Hassan Karim has called for the opposition to defend Anwar rather than attack him, leaving more questions unanswered.
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