NEW YORK, Sept 28 - Malaysia has voiced concern at the United Nations over the recent attempts by the United States to question its national law and administration of justice.
"We could, if we choose to question the legal basis of Guantanamao detention without trial, but we did not in as much as we do not question societal behaviour in other jurisdictions," Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said.
Rais was speaking at the 63rd general assembly of the world body here Saturday, in place of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who had earlier cancelled his trip here.
"It needs to be restated -- we have no right to meddle, in any form of manifestation or under any pretext or circumstances, in the conduct of the internal affairs of other countries," said Rais.
Washington has warned Malaysia against any "politically-motivated" investigation or prosecution of Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, saying that the rule of law needed to stand above politics.
Anwar, who is Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser, is currently being charged in court of sodomising a former male aide.
Rais said that certain societal behaviour might be acceptable in one country or region but not in another, saying, while "same-sex marriage are acceptable in California", sodomy is a crime in many Asian countries.
Rais said that democracy in Malaysia remained vibrant and progressive, and that the rule of law via Parliament remained central to Malaysia's existence as a sovereign and independent nation.
In his address, Rais also compared the present financial crisis suffered by the
United States to the Asian financial crisis in 1997.
"The troubles of Asian companies then was the result of outside forces, while the present troubles of US financial companies are entirely of their own doing.
"It is to be asked, why were the actions taken by the governments of Asia, in particular that of Malaysia, to save our own companies a decade ago deemed so wrong while the present bailout of US financial companies are deemed to be right?" he said.
In Washington, the US Congress and the Bush administration are negotiating a US$700 billion rescue plan for its ailing financial industry, the largest bailout since the Great Depression.
The rescue plan would give Washington the power to purchase bad mortgage-related assets from US financial institutions for the next two years.
To ensure the debacle did not recur, Rais called on the international community to "check the excesses of the so called `financial wizards' whose alchemy has resulted in so much suffering".
He said Malaysia supported the view that corporate captains should not sap their entities by having unbelievably high pay packages.
Rais also urged the Security Council to immediately resolve the problem of piracy in the international waters in which Malaysia and several other countries
have become victims.
He expressed Malaysia's hope that the littoral states in the Gulf of Aden, where two Malaysian vessels were hijacked by pirates, would provide the necessary means to ensure the security of navigation in their waters.
Sixty-five Malaysians and 15 Filipinos onboard both vessels have been held hostage in Somalia.
Pirates, however, had released the crewmen of one of the ships, MT Munga Melati 5, according to reports by international wire agencies.
Negotiation continues for the release of crew members of the other vessel, MT Bunga Melati Dua. - Bernama
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