Estrada, Habibie lack experience: Malaysian minister
Estrada, Habibie lack experience: Malaysian minister
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): Statements in support of sacked Malaysian finance minister Anwar Ibrahim by the Philippine and Indonesian presidents showed their "shallow" experience, a Malaysian government minister said on Monday.
The national Bernama news agency quoted Primary Industries Minister Lim Keng Yaik as saying the comments by Philippine President Joseph Estrada and Indonesia's President B.J. Habibie were used by them to divert attention from their own domestic problems.
Separately, opposition parties called for the release of 133 people arrested after anti-government demonstrations in front of the king's palace on Saturday.
Lim said Estrada and Habibie are "new kids on the block" and thus lacked experience in commenting about the affairs of another country.
"How can a president or a head of state make statements on other countries in their capacity, or at their whims as what they say will be regarded as the official stand?" Lim told reporters after a political function.
"They seemed to be using Anwar's issue to hide the problems faced by their countries," he said.
Lim said Malaysia viewed seriously the statements by the two presidents on Anwar, which clearly interfered in Malaysia's internal matters.
Estrada and Habibie had made personal statements in support of Anwar and have not yet confirmed that they would attend next month's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Kuala Lumpur.
However, Indonesian presidential spokeswoman Dewi Fortuna Anwar said on Saturday that Habibie had decided to attend the summit meeting because he was encouraged by the authorities' better treatment of Anwar.
Estrada had said he and Habibie planned to write a letter to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad urging that Anwar be placed under house arrest.
Anwar is in detention while awaiting trial on five charges of sodomy and five of corruption, all of which he denies. He was released from detention last week under the draconian Internal Security Act and is now in a prison cell.
In another development, Malaysia has abruptly scrapped scheduled defense talks with the Philippines amid a diplomatic row over the arrest of Anwar, Philippine defense officials said on Monday.
Malaysia gave no reasons for cancellation but Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado told reporters in Manila on Monday it might have been prompted by "strained relations" between the two countries after President Joseph Estrada recently expressed support for Anwar.
Estrada had also urged Malaysia to respect Anwar's human rights. Anwar, a former deputy prime minister and finance minister, was arrested last month and is being detained in Malaysia on charges of sodomy and corruption. Anwar denies the charges.
The defense talks were scheduled for Oct. 28-30 in the Philippines. A Philippine Defense Department statement said on Monday Malaysia gave no reason for pulling out of the meeting.
Mercado earlier told reporters on Monday that Malaysia had asked for postponement of a quarterly meeting with the Philippines on joint patrol of waters between the two countries.
Mercado's office later clarified his remarks, saying what was canceled on Malaysia's initiative were committee talks involving defense cooperation.
"Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado has been informed that Malaysia has decided to cancel the Third Philippines-Malaysia Combined Committee meeting," the defense department said.
The bilateral committee meets regularly to discuss defense cooperation, such as military procurement, defense technology and holding of joint military exercises, officials said.
Despite signs of strained relations between Manila and Kuala Lumpur, Philippine presidential spokesman Jerry Barican dispelled speculation that the row over Anwar might force Estrada to boycott the APEC forum.