US refutes PAS leader Hadi Awang’s claim of attempt to influence Malaysian politics

PETALING JAYA – The US has rejected Parti Islam Se-Malaysia president Hadi Awang’s claim that Washington had previously sought to influence Malaysia’s political leadership.The Charge d’Affaires at the US Embassy in Malaysia, David Gamble Jr, said the US had never sought to determine Malaysia’s political leadership.“Any account to the contrary is false,” he said in a statement on Sept 6.On Sept 5, Hadi alleged that a US Embassy representative had once asked whom PAS would propose as prime minister if the opposition party took over the Malaysian government.In his winding-up speech at the 72nd annual congress of PAS, he said the meeting took place when the party was part of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.He said a US ambassador had asked to meet him and he attended the meeting with former PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali.“The ambassador asked, ‘Who does PAS propose as prime minister?’ I asked him back, ‘Who does America agree with?’“When I told (former prime minister) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad about the meeting, he said it was a good response,” Hadi said. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK