KL minister blames U.S. embassy for spat<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): A Malaysian minister yesterday blamed
\nthe United States embassy in Kuala Lumpur for misinformation
\nwhich had strained relations between the two countries, the
\nnational Bernama news agency said.<\/p>\n
\"The U.S. embassy here is not giving the right information.
\nThey are sending the wrong message,\" Primary Industries Minister
\nLim Keng Yaik was quoted as telling reporters after a public
\nfunction.<\/p>\n
He accused the embassy of informing a U.S. delegation which is
\nexpected to arrive in Malaysia this week to probe a gas deal that
\nit was \"not safe (for the delegation) to come to Malaysia.\"<\/p>\n
Lim did not say where he received the information from.
\nOfficials at the U.S. embassy were not immediately available for
\ncomment.<\/p>\n
Relations between the U.S. and Malaysia hit a rough patch
\nfollowing a U.S. probe into a gas deal in Iran involving
\nMalaysia's national oil firm Petronas.<\/p>\n
Washington says the deal violates a U.S. law that can impose
\nsanctions on companies doing business with Iran and is sending a
\nteam to Malaysia to discuss the matter.<\/p>\n
The Malaysian government says the U.S. law interferes with
\nPetronas's overseas business dealings.<\/p>\n
A separate issue involving a draft resolution by a group of
\nU.S. Congressmen who asked Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to
\napologize or quit for alleged remarks about Jews, also angered
\nMalaysians.<\/p>\n
The Malaysian cabinet on Wednesday said the call for Mahathir
\nto resign \"exceeded the norms of diplomatic engagement and
\ntransgress what we would call polite dissent\".<\/p>\n
The Kuala Lumpur embassy on Thursday issued a security alert
\nafter receiving two telephone calls threatening harm to Americans
\nworking in Malaysia.<\/p>\n
Lim, also the president of Parti Gerakan, a component party of
\nthe ruling National Front party headed by Mahathir, accused the
\nembassy for being \"alarmists\".<\/p>\n
\"They (the embassy) pour oil when they see a little smoke, not
\neven fire,\" he was quoted by Bernama as saying.<\/p>\n
\"They are the ones who tell the Americans \"don't come or you
\nare liable to be shot\". Do you think it is right? Are they not
\nalarmists?,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Separately, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdul
\nHamid Othman said yesterday he had no information on a group
\nwhich was said to have issued the death threat, Bernama said.<\/p>\n
Abdul Hamid said he had read about the Malaysian Moslem
\nMartyrs' Movement in news reports but had no details of the
\ngroup.<\/p>\n
Diplomatic sources in Kuala Lumpur told Reuters on Friday that
\nthe previously-unheard of movement had claimed responsibility for
\nthe threat to kill four Americans in Malaysia. About 6,100
\nAmericans work in Malaysia.<\/p>",
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