05/10/2025
Baru-baru ini, beberapa pihak mendesak kerajaan Malaysia supaya menarik balik jemputan kepada Presiden Amerika Syarikat, Donald Trump, untuk menghadiri Sidang Kemuncak ASEAN pada bulan Oktober ini. Alasan mereka — Amerika Syarikat yang menyokong kekejaman Israel terhadap Palestin, tidak wajar diberi muka dengan layanan diplomatik.
Izinkan saya mengulas lima perspektif mengenai isu ini.
PERTAMA, jemputan tersebut tidak dibuat dalam konteks penyelesaian isu Palestin-Israel, sebaliknya dalam konteks Sidang Kemuncak ASEAN serta perbincangan berkaitan isu perdagangan dan tarif antara Amerika Syarikat dan negara-negara ASEAN yang masih belum dimuktamadkan secara mutlak.
Adalah penting bagi Malaysia dan ASEAN untuk menggunakan setiap peluang yang ada bagi meyakinkan Presiden Donald Trump bahawa rejim tarif yang dilaksanakan oleh pentadbirannya terhadap negara-negara ASEAN adalah tidak adil, berat sebelah, serta memberi impak negatif kepada rakyat di rantau ini.
Perbincangan secara bersemuka dengan Presiden Donald Trump akan membuka satu ruang besar bagi menjelaskan secara terus kepada beliau mengenai keunikan nuansa naratif ekonomi ASEAN yang bersifat kompleks dan berlapis.
Semua orang tahu Presiden Donald Trump boleh dan pernah mengubah pendiriannya pada saat-saat akhir apabila beliau mendengar sendiri hujah dan fakta secara langsung daripada pimpinan negara-negara lain. Itulah harapan kita dengan kehadiran Presiden Donald Trump di Sidang Kemuncak ASEAN nanti.
KEDUA, adalah tidak adil dan kurang manis sekiranya Malaysia menafikan peluang ketua-ketua kerajaan negara ASEAN yang hadir ke Sidang Kemuncak ASEAN untuk bersemuka serta berbincang dengan Presiden Donald Trump. Sudah tentu mereka turut mempunyai isu-isu ekonomi dua hala yang mendesak untuk dibincangkan secara terus dengan Presiden Donald Trump.
Hakikatnya, PMX kini merupakan Pengerusi ASEAN. Jemputan tersebut dibuat dalam kapasiti beliau sebagai Pengerusi ASEAN, bukannya semata-mata sebagai Perdana Menteri Malaysia.
KETIGA, menjemput Presiden Amerika Syarikat ke Malaysia bukanlah suatu perkara baharu. Tahun 1966, Presiden Lyndon B. Johnson melawat negara kita walaupun ketika itu Malaysia sedar bahawa sepanjang pentadbiran beliau, kezaliman Israel terhadap Palestin sentiasa membara sehingga tercetusnya Perang Enam Hari.
Tahun 2015, Malaysia menerima kunjungan Presiden Barack Obama meskipun kita semua tahu ketika itu gelombang intifada ketiga sedang memuncak di Palestin.
Tahun 1998, Presiden Bill Clinton dijemput menghadiri Mesyuarat APEC di Kuala Lumpur meskipun Malaysia sedar Presiden Bill Clinton sedang merancang operasi ketenteraan terhadap Iraq. Beliau akhirnya tidak hadir kerana sibuk memantau krisis Iraq, namun menghantar Naib Presiden Al Gore sebagai wakil. Sebulan selepas lawatan Al Gore, Amerika Syarikat dan sekutunya melancarkan operasi ketenteraan “Operation Desert Fox” di Iraq pada Disember 1998.
KEEMPAT, presiden-presiden Amerika Syarikat sejak dahulu hingga kini kerap melawat negara-negara Arab, dan pemimpin-pemimpin Arab tetap menyambut mereka dengan tangan terbuka. Ini bukan tanda sokongan terhadap dasar Amerika Syarikat dalam isu Palestin-Israel, sebaliknya kerana mereka ingin menggunakan kesempatan tersebut untuk menyuarakan pandangan dan ketidakpuasan hati mereka secara terus kepada Presiden Amerika.
KELIMA, seluruh dunia tahu bahawa proses perdamaian di Gaza dan Tebing Barat pasti melibatkan peranan besar Amerika Syarikat. S**a atau tidak, itulah realitinya. Kehadiran Presiden Donald Trump di Sidang Kemuncak ASEAN akan memberi ruang kepada negara-negara ASEAN untuk menyampaikan pandangan serta cadangan terhadap kepincangan pelan perdamaian di Gaza dan Tebing Barat, termasuk “Pelan Perdamaian - 20 Perkara” yang dikemukakan oleh Amerika Syarikat sendiri.
Malah, tindakan Israel terhadap Global Sumud Flottila dan tuduhan Malaysia menjadi sarang kepada Hamas juga boleh dibincang dengan Presiden Donald Trump.
Maka, mari kita kembali kepada persoalan pokok: Apakah sebenarnya yang merisaukan rakyat Malaysia tentang lawatan Presiden Donald Trump ke Malaysia?
Persoalan mereka ialah — adakah pendirian tegas Malaysia dalam menyokong perjuangan Palestin akan luntur atau berubah kerana kehadiran Presiden Donald Trump? Sudah tentu jawapannya ialah TIDAK.
Malaysia pasti akan terus mempertahankan rakyat Palestin, sama seperti selepas Malaysia menerima kunjungan Presiden Lyndon Johnson, Presiden Barack Obama, dan Naib Presiden Al Gore dahulu. Tidak ada yang akan berubah.
Yang lebih penting — apa yang dinantikan oleh rakyat Malaysia ialah intipati dan nada ucapan PMX di hadapan Presiden Donald Trump kelak. Sudah pasti isu ekonomi dan perdagangan akan menjadi teras ucapannya, namun rakyat juga mahu beliau menyuarakan isu kekejaman Israel terhadap Palestin dengan tegas dan lantang.
Jika itu berlaku, rakyat Malaysia pasti menyambut baik pendirian kerajaan. Namun jika ucapan PMX nanti dilihat lemah longlai dan tidak lantang dalam membicarakan isu Palestin, maka rakyat berhak untuk mengkritik kerajaan.
Jemputan kepada Presiden Donald Trump bukanlah tanda kita mengalah. Bukan tanda tunduk. Ia adalah pintu. Pintu untuk menegakkan hujah kita. Pintu untuk menyampaikan hujah bahawa sokongan membabi buta Amerika Syarikat kepada Israel menyebabkan Israel berani melakukan genosida di Gaza. Kali ini, kita ada peluang bercakap mata bertemu mata, hujah bertemu hujah.
Jika ada pihak yang mahu berdemonstrasi, biarkanlah, asalkan secara aman dan mengikut undang-undang.
Apapun, kita tunggu dan lihat bagaimana PMX mengemudi sentimen rakyat Malaysia yang bercampur-baur terhadap kehadiran Presiden Donald Trump nanti. Saya yakin beliau tahu apa yang patut dan harus beliau ucapkan pada Sidang Kemuncak ASEAN itu kelak.
-tamat-
Datuk Seri Haji Abdul Rahman Bin Dahlan
Mantan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri
(Unit Perancang Ekonomi)
Jumaat, 3hb Oktober 2025
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
* Helang Botak (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) adalah simbol kebangsaan Amerika Syarikat, sementara Harimau Malaya (Panthera tigris jackson) adalah simbol kebangsaan Malaysia.
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English version:
Recently, several parties have urged the Malaysian government to withdraw its invitation to the President of the United States, Donald Trump, to attend the ASEAN Summit this October. Their reasoning — that the United States supports Israel’s oppression of Palestine — means he should not be given diplomatic courtesy.
Allow me to comment on this issue from five perspectives.
FIRST, the invitation was not made in the context of resolving the Palestine–Israel conflict, but rather in the context of the ASEAN Summit and discussions related to trade and tariffs between the United States and ASEAN countries, which have yet to be firmly finalized.
It is important for Malaysia and ASEAN to seize every opportunity to convince President Donald Trump that the tariff regime imposed by his administration on ASEAN countries is unfair, biased, and negatively impacts the people of this region.
A face-to-face discussion with President Donald Trump would open a major avenue to directly explain to him the unique nuances of a complex and multilayered economic narrative of ASEAN.
Everyone knows that President Donald Trump can — and has — changed his stance at the last minute when he directly hears arguments and facts from other world leaders. That is our hope with the presence of President Donald Trump at the ASEAN Summit.
SECOND, it would be unfair and unbecoming for Malaysia to deny ASEAN heads of government attending the ASEAN Summit the opportunity to meet and discuss with President Donald Trump. Surely, they too have pressing bilateral economic issues to discuss directly with him.
The fact is, PMX is currently the Chair of ASEAN. The invitation was extended in his capacity as ASEAN Chair, not merely as the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
THIRD, inviting a U.S. President to Malaysia is not something new.
In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson visited our country even though Malaysia was well aware that during his administration, Israel’s oppression of Palestine continued to burn, eventually erupting into the Six-Day War.
In 2015, Malaysia received a visit from President Barack Obama despite the fact that the third Intifada was peaking in Palestine at that time.
In 1998, President Bill Clinton was invited to attend the APEC Meeting in Kuala Lumpur even though Malaysia knew he was planning a military operation against Iraq. He ultimately did not attend because he was busy monitoring the Iraq crisis, but sent Vice President Al Gore as his representative. A month after Al Gore’s visit, the United States and its allies launched the “Operation Desert Fox” military campaign in Iraq in December 1998.
FOURTH, U.S. presidents have long visited Arab countries, and Arab leaders have continued to welcome them with open arms. This is not a sign of support for U.S. policy on the Palestine–Israel issue, but because they want to use the opportunity to voice their views and dissatisfaction directly to the U.S. President.
FIFTH, the entire world knows that the peace process in Gaza and the West Bank will inevitably involve a major role by the United States. Like it or not, that is the reality. The presence of President Donald Trump at the ASEAN Summit will give ASEAN countries the opportunity to express their views and proposals on the flaws in the peace plan for Gaza and the West Bank, including the “20-Point Peace Plan” proposed by the United States itself.
In fact, Israel’s actions against the Global Sumud Flotilla and accusations that Malaysia is a haven for Hamas can also be discussed with President Donald Trump.
So let us return to the core question: What exactly worries Malaysians about President Donald Trump’s visit to Malaysia?
Their concern is — will Malaysia’s firm stance in supporting the Palestinian struggle weaken or change because of his presence? The answer is certainly NO.
Malaysia will undoubtedly continue to defend the Palestinians, just as it did after receiving visits from President Lyndon Johnson, President Barack Obama, and Vice President Al Gore in the past. Nothing will change.
More importantly — what Malaysians are anticipating is the substance and tone of PMX’s speech in front of President Donald Trump. Surely, economic and trade issues will be at the core of his address, but the people also want him to speak firmly and boldly on the issue of Israel’s atrocities against Palestine.
If that happens, Malaysians will certainly welcome the government’s stance. But if PMX’s speech is seen as weak and lacklustre when addressing the Palestine issue, then the people have every right to criticize the government.
An invitation to President Donald Trump is not a sign of surrender. Not a sign of submission. It is a door. A door to assert our arguments. A door to convey that America’s blind support for Israel has emboldened Israel to commit genocide in Gaza. This time, we have the opportunity to speak eye to eye, argument to argument.
If there are groups who wish to demonstrate, let them do so peacefully and within the law.
In any case, we shall wait and see how PMX navigates the mixed sentiments of Malaysians towards President Donald Trump’s presence. I am confident that he knows what he must say and do at the ASEAN Summit.
-end-
Datuk Seri Haji Abdul Rahman Bin Dahlan
Former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department
(Economic Planning Unit)
Friday, 3rd October 2025
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
* Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is United States of America’s national symbol, while Malayan Tiger (Panthera tigris jackson) is Malaysia’s national symbol.
