Envoy: Visit by US Treasury ‘in spirit of partnership’

KUALA LUMPUR: The visit by officials of the US Treasury Department to Malaysia is very much in the spirit of partnership, says US ambassador to Malaysia Edgard D. Kagan (pic).

“It is part of ongoing discussions between the United States and its key partners on the importance of a unified global response to critical threats,” he said.

He said the US was continuing to work closely with the governments of Malaysia and Singapore.

“Obviously, I don’t want to prejudge the discussions. US discussions are typically very candid, very frank and cover a wide range of issues.

“We are approaching this very much in the spirit of partnership with the sense that we share common threats and challenges,” he said on the sidelines of the Defence Services Asia (DSA) and National Security Exhibition (NatSec) Asia 2024 yesterday.

A media advisory dated May 3 and posted on the US Treasury Department website announced that its under secretary (terrorism and financial intelligence) Brian Nelson and Treasury general counsel Neil MacBride will travel to Malaysia and Singapore from May 6 to 9.

Their visit was “to advance Treasury’s work countering terrorist financing and revenue generation by Iran and its proxies as well as to discuss the implementation of sanctions and export controls against Russia”, the advisory said.

“In Malaysia, under secretary Nelson and general counsel MacBride will discuss the United States’ efforts to disrupt terrorist financing, including through fundraising for fraudulent charities and illicit oil sales, while ensuring that US sanctions and other financial measures do not impede the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza,” it said.

On another matter, Kagan said the US government had no role in deciding on companies listed as vendors participating in the DSA and NatSec 2024.

He said there had been no formal communication from those protesting the participation of companies accused of supporting the cruelty in Gaza.

“They (protesting parties) have not contacted us directly.

“I also noticed that it wasn’t just American companies they criticised. Their criticism was also directed at a variety of international companies,” he said.

On the exhibition, Kagan said Malaysia had put together a very impressive show.

“The exhibition has a global reputation and it is well known as a serious show that brings together critical global players.

“This (deciding who participates) is something the US government has no part of. This (participation) is something that is at the invitation of Malaysia,” he said.

He was commenting on Bersatu’s call to the Malaysian government to prohibit two companies allegedly involved in supplying weapons to the Israeli military.

Bersatu’s international bureau chief Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah was reported to have voiced his party’s concern over the involvement of the two companies in the event.