Australian prime minister to visit Malaysia to strengthen ties

Asia-Pacific News

Jul 9, 2008, 8:30 GMT

Kuala Lumpur - Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is due to make an official trip to Malaysia where he will hold talks with his counterpart Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as part of efforts to strengthen ties between the two countries, officials said Wednesday. Rudd is due to arrive early Thursday from the G8 meeting in Hokkaido, Japan, before returning to Canberra for a whirlwind one-day trip - his first since becoming prime minister. Officials at Malaysia's foreign ministry said Rudd would be accorded an official state welcome at parliament before holding bilateral talks with Malaysian Premier Abdullah. He will then have an audience with Malaysia's King Mizan Zainal Abidin at the national palace. Rudd, who is scheduled to depart for home later Thursday, has been reported as saying he would not be meeting former deputy premier-turned-opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim in a move analysts say signals efforts to heal the sometimes strained relationship between the two nations. Former Australian premier John Howard angered the Malaysian government when he termed Anwar as a political victim when he was sacked and jailed on charges of sodomy and corruption in 1998. Anwar was subsequently cleared of all sodomy charges. When Anwar was subsequently cleared of the sodomy charges Howard slammed the country's judiciary as 'no longer independent.' In response, former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad has been a strong critic of Howard's administration, often opposing Australia's efforts at joining regional groupings and slamming Australia as the 'deputy sheriff' to the US in Asia, in reference to Howard's support of the US invasion into Iraq. Analysts said Wednesday that Rudd's decision not to meet Anwar or his wife was a clear sign of his intent to steer clear of further straining ties with Malaysia. 'It is not unusual for the prime minister to meet opposition leaders, but in this case, meeting Anwar could be conceived as a sign that he is sympathetic to Anwar's goal of taking over the government,' said a political observer. He said the visit would likely signal better ties in the future between the two countries. Anwar recently faced fresh allegations of sodomy by a male aide. Anwar has denied the charge and claimed to have been framed by his political opponents in an act mirroring his 1998 case.

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