HC Deb 28 October 2003 vol 412 cc194-5W
Angus Robertson

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the speech by the Malaysian Prime Minister at the opening of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference Summit in Kuala Lumpur on 16 October; what discussions(a) he (b) members of his Department and (c) representatives of the United Kingdom Government have had with (i) members and (ii) representatives of the government of Malaysia regarding this speech; and if he will make a statement. [134431]

Mr. Stephen O'Brien

Dr. Mahathir's comments about Jews in his speech to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference Summit on 16 October were totally unacceptable. I summoned the Malaysian high commissioner on 17 October, and made our position clear. I said it was particularly regrettable that some welcome messages in Dr. Mahathir's speech—such as negotiation as the path to peace, and the futility of terrorism—had been overshadowed by his outburst about Jews.

On 20 October the British high commissioner in Kuala Lumpur repeated our position to the Secretary General of the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Secretary General argued that Dr. Mahathir had made clear repeatedly that he was not anti-Semitic, and that the speech showed his unequivocal opposition to terrorism and the use of violence in Palestine, including suicide bombings.

The EU Presidency issued a statement on 16 October condemning Dr. Mahathir's remarks on behalf of all member states.

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