PETALING JAYA: The United States has rejected PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang's claim that Washington had previously sought to influence Malaysia's political leadership.
US Embassy in Malaysia Chargé d'Affaires David H. Gamble Jr. said the United States had never sought to determine Malaysia's political leadership.
"Any account to the contrary is false," he said in a statement on Sunday (Sept 6).
On Sept 5, Abdul Hadi alleged that a US Embassy representative had once asked whom PAS would propose as prime minister if the party took over the government.
In his winding-up speech at the 72nd PAS muktamar, the PAS president said the meeting took place when the party was part of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.
Abdul Hadi said a US ambassador had requested to meet him and he attended the meeting with former PAS secretary-general Datuk 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," he said, drawing laughter from the floor.
