Obama snubbed Malaysia’s democrats

US President Barack Obama’s visit to Malaysia was disappointing.

Obama did not meet Malaysia’s jailed opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, which was a snub to the millions of Malaysian democratic activists who want an end to the dominance and corruption of Barisan Nasional, Malaysia’s federal ruling political force since independence.

High on the agenda of Obama’s meetings was the secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, which limits the activities governments can regulate, and to impose new intellectual property standards abroad (or investor rights).

The TPP will lower wages and increase economic insecurity for the majority of people, and limit the authority of elected governments inversely to corporate empowerment.

There was also a passing reference to Malaysia’s human rights infringements, which helped Obama pass himself off as the concerned statesman.

But Malaysia can’t hold a light to the human rights abuses the US has committed in recent wars in, for example, Iraq and Afghanistan.

This gives reason to wonder why Obama is welcomed so warmly around the world.

Louis Shawcross

Hillsborough

Co Down