Rais on Rice: Bad English? Or just plain twist, mambo and chacha that went wrong?
Posted by coretanummi at 9:04 PMFirst of all, I am no big fan of Condi Rice at all. In fact, there is no love lost between us. I hate her to the core for all the hypocrisies and cruelties that the US state government has done, as manifested by her actions and decisions. In Iraq. In Afghanistan. In all matters relating to Muslims.
But at least I just hope that we Malaysians don't acquire that hypocrisy trait from them. At least not from within the educated and learned lot like cabinet ministers.
So I was greatly discomforted, and displeased, to read the kind of English understanding (or was it an intentional, fully orchestrated failure of English comprehension to the Mike Tysonian proportions), that was shown by our foreign minister, one guy by the name of Rais Yatim when he tried to relay what he understood from Condi Rice's speech in Singapore.
TEXT:
SINGAPORE, July 23 (Bernama) -- The United States agrees with Malaysia's view pertaining to the rule of law, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said.
During a meeting with the United States Wednesday, he said Malaysia raised the point that "we recognise the role of the United States as a world power and appreciate what it has given in terms of assistance, and what it has meant to liberty, freedom, equality, democracy and the rest."
"But we emphasised that the rule of law - system of each country - should be respected.
"This, we have pointed out in a clear message to US Secretary of State (Dr Condoleeza) Rice and she has responded by saying that this is the right of the states and that democracy must be seen to be practised within the right of those states," Rais told reporters after attending the Asean Ministerial Meeting with its dialogue partners here.
He had earlier attended bilateral meetings with the United States and Russia, as well as other side meetings.
Rais said Malaysia hoped that Iraq would be liberated at the end of its reconstruction days and forged ahead with its own democratic system so that what belonged to the Iraqis were returned to them.
-- BERNAMA
