Angry Najib Warns EU Envoy Not To Meddle In Our Affairs, 'Regrets' Comments On Never Ending Policy

In plain language, our revered Deputy Prime Minister reacted with predictable vehemence on the allegations of discrimination regarding the NEP, Bernama reports. The vein of Najib's comments left no doubt that the Never Ending Policy will stay for another hundred years at least. (The year 2120 sounds like a reasonable proposition.) While he was unable to justify or defend the Never Ending Policy, he cleverly hid behind the principle of non-interference by foreign envoys; a point which he invoked repeatedly. The full report follows.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak expressed regret over the statement by the Ambassador and Head of the European Commission Delegation to Malaysia with regard to the New Economic Policy (NEP), saying that the envoy should not interfere in Malaysia's domestic affairs or policy.

Refuting the facts submitted by the envoy, the Deputy Prime Minister said that as an ambassador accredited to this country, Thierry Rommel should play a role to forge closer relations between the two countries. "Normally, an ambassador or envoy does not comment on the affairs of the country to which they are accredited. This has been the practice because when we comment on the policies adopted by the country concerned, it means that we are interfering in the affairs of the host country," he told reporters.

Najib said this when asked to comment on Rommel's statement yesterday which was carried by a foreign wire agency, The Associated Press. The foreign news agency quoted Rommel as saying that the NEP gave a host of privileges in jobs, education, business and other areas to the ethnic Malays.

He also urged the Malaysian government to roll back its affirmative action policy for the Malays, saying it was discriminatory and amounted to protectionism against foreign companies. "As part of the NEP, all public-listed companies are required to allocate 30 percent of their shares to the Malays. Companies without Malay directors or employees are excluded from lucrative government contracts," he said in a speech to local and foreign businessmen on Thursday.

On Malaysia's action or official protest against the statement, Najib said: "Wait first, I will seek the opinion of Wisma Putra (the Foreign Ministry)."

"The role of the ambassador is to forge closer relations between the country he represents and the host country. In terms of diplomatic principles and practice, his action contradicts the practice that we adopt. "What was raised can certainly be disputed in terms of the fact," the Deputy Prime Minister said.

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