“We Look Forward to Boosting Ties with Iran,” States Malaysia’s Ambassador

A country in Southeast Asia, Malaysia sits neighbor with Indonesia and Thailand. In accordance with Malaysia’s constitution, The King is elected to a five-year term by and from among the nine hereditary rulers of the Malay states; the other four states, which have titular Governors, do not participate in the selection. The King’s role has been largely ceremonial holding much less power compared to the Premier’s wide executive role. Malaysia’s economy hinged chiefly on agricultural products, but branched out to other realms under Mahathir Mohamad’s premiership between 1981 and 2003, and experienced a tiger economy in 1980s and 1990s when the country’s economic foundations moved from agricultural foundations toward computer and electronic industries. Malaysia managed in 1990s to overcome the financial crisis of the time leaving behind a majority of the problems hindering its way, therefore treading on a path which enabled it to become an industrialized self-sufficient country. The disappearance of MH370 and the crash of MH17 in Ukraine, however, are pinned down as significant barriers in the way of Malaysia’s further progress having caused extensive economic bumpers. To examine the bilateral Iran-Malaysia ties, we held an interview with Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin, Malaysia’s Ambassador to Tehran.

AVA Dilopmatic’s Exclusive Interview with Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin, Malaysia’s Ambassador to Tehran

Before Iran, where had you served? Where did your diplomatic career begin?

I had been serving in Geneva between 1996 and 2001 before coming to Iran.

What was your position in Geneva?

I served as the Second Secretary of the Embassy.

And after Geneva?

Between 2001 and 2006, I returned to Malaysia and began my activities with a multilateral department formed by a number of countries. My duty there concerned the Vienna occurrences, but my job there was more related to the developments of the U.N.

Does it mean that you pursued the affairs related to the U.N. in Malaysia?

Yes, affairs such as economic and political developments.

In Iran, we have a position at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which is called the Financial Deputy.

I wasn’t particularly involved in that ballpark, but that was also one of the areas I worked in.

So, what happened after 2006?

Until 2010, I was the permanent representative of Malaysia at the U.N.

Interesting! How were you appointed Malaysia’s UN permanent representative?

Well, all through my stint, I had been dealing with multilateral affairs and this very factor did somehow make the U.N. and its affairs so inseparable from my career that I worked on at it until 2 years ago when my mission came to an end.

What was the most significant case you engaged in at the U.N. between 2006 and 2010?

The most challenging one was when I served as the representative of the Ambassador. I’m certain that you remember Mavi Marmara ship which was due to head to Israel. On board there, there were a number of Malay civilians. We, along with other Islamic countries, were trying to hold an emergency meeting in the form of the U.N. General Assembly. I recall we had close cooperation with Iran back then, too.

How many Malays were killed in that incident?

None of them actually died, but some were injured. I guess a total of 30 Malays were on that ship. As you may know, because of the pressures inflicted upon the General Assembly, the intended session was never held.

So, in fact, you were after holding that session and sit with Israel’s delegate. Have you ever run into a problem with the Israeli delegate? What memories do you have from back then?

In such situations, you never get to meet the Israeli delegate, for they seek to avoid any situations as such.

There most certainly have been groups which tried to thwart your efforts then, for there would possibly be encounters.

It is interesting to say that the then President of the General Assembly was Libya’s Prime Minister. Then, some were on the belief that this incident should be discussed in the Security Council, while some from our side insisted that it be dealt with by the General Assembly. At the end, the session was never held owing to the pressures on the General Assembly from the outside. It later became an initiative proposed by Malaysia during which our Minister of Foreign Affairs came to the Assembly. I have to say that the issue of Palestine is as important to Malaysia as it is to Iran.

You spent quite a while at the U.N. and are pretty much familiar with its structure and government. Why does the U.N. not take any decisive measure against the recent assaults of Israel against Gaza?

As you may be aware, the structure of the U.N. is very much complex. On the one hand, it is wholeheartedly making every effort to offer equal philanthropic forces and aids to the people in need, and on the other hand, it is deeply involved in the matter of human rights. On that note, the Security Council is more in action. The Human Rights section of the U.N. issued a resolution against Israel which proposed that an investigative team be formed to study the matter.

Do you have any hopes toward that case?

There have been such teams in the past, too. It is clear that Israel has thus far used a great deal of force in that regard. The problem with such matters is that no one can take a firm action against these reports. A decisive measure, for instance, can be to bring Israel to the War Crimes Tribunal.

Which is impossible given the supports of the U.S.

Of course.

And where did you go after 2010?

I went back to Malaysia and worked as the Deputy Secretary General of ASEAN.

ASEAN is a very authentic international institution in Southeast Asia. What were its top priorities at the time of your deputyship?

Of the most important, I can refer to creating a convergence point, esp. in economics.

What role did Malaysia play in establishing ASEAN and its activities?

As you know, ASEAN was first founded in 1967 and Malaysia was a founding member. If you look at the map of Southeast Asia, you will see that Malaysia is just located at the heart of the region. Should there not be any peace and stability in the region, Malaysia shall have no chance to progress. Therefore, you see that Malaysia has played a pivotal role since the birth of ASEAN.

Were there any plans for the increase of transits and economic trades at the time of your deputyship at ASEAN?

Well, yes. There was a plan to boost the connections of ASEAN then which is still in progress. A joint railroad was planned to establish in the ASEAN region. If this plan works out completely, then we can transfer the commodities at a way cheaper cost than before.

And you came to Iran after ASEAN?

That’s right.

So this is your first time as Ambassador here, right?

True.

How did you become Malaysia’s Ambassador to Tehran?

That wasn’t much of a personal decision. But now, I am very much happy I am in Iran and looking forward to the time when we can boost the Iran-Malaysia ties.

What were the orders and instructions the Malaysian Government provided you with when you came to Iran?

In Malaysia, we have a routine that every ambassador meets the Prime Minister and receives a set of clear and transparent instructions from him, right before they are sent to their destinations. The instructions in brief dictate that every effort should be made for us to enhance Malaysia’s economic ties with Iran, esp. when the sanctions are off.

What is Malaysia’s top priority for developing economic ties?

There are various areas we can work on. Malaysia’s main export actually consists of petrochemical products, but the founding part is formed by the export of electronic goods.

Iran and Malaysia had formerly cooperated with each other in oil and gas industries. Is there any future plan for those countries to return to Iran?

As you better know, Malaysian Oil Company has not been in business in Iran for long. As far as I know, it is willing to resume its work in Iran once again, and we hope for that matter to come true soon.

In terms of economic growth, Malaysia has managed to be a pioneer over the past two decades. Iran, too, is trying to take big steps regarding its economic growth and development once the sanctions are gone. Malaysia’s economic pattern is always said to be a success. What factors do you consider effective in that matter?

When talking about economic development and growth, you should take 3 factors into account. First is the environment the international community provides you with. Second is the structures which are not limited to the physical types, but relate to whatever means which contribute to the promotion of business, such as frameworks of business laws, government transparencies and the ruling atmosphere. Third is the people. You should have educated work force who own technical capabilities. In a world which is day after day more advancing toward globalization, the need to know English is felt more deeply and to master that is not so easy a task. In developing countries, commitments to their resources are very much stern.

All the points you pointed out could not happen without a strong management. That is why experts believe Mahathir Mohammad played a key role in this subject. If we want to accept that only one person has accomplished all this, then we should say that the existing system is totalitarian. And if we reject that presumption, then one might ask that how have all the developments and growths come to existence?

If we put all these aspects together, we’ll figure that is the fruit of the efforts the people have made which ushers in development. Such development is, too, consisted of diverse components. It cannot be solely related to growth, but also we should underscore that consistent efforts are to be made to live up to that objective. Dr. Mahathir is a great man, but I’m sure that even if you ask him directly, he will tell you that this economic growth is the legacy of what our predecessors had done. Despite its diverse ethnic groups, Malaysia has enjoyed relative peace and stability since it won its independence. Malaysia owns an open economy which is always open to foreign investors. What the leaders of our country are well aware of is that the growth of our country is only possible when there is peace and stability in region. When Malaysia’s 4^th PM won the office, all these factors were there. What Dr. Mahathir did was to take one step forward and drive these factors toward producing a unified result which offered privatization and stabilization adding exporting features to our economy. As you know, the current PM is, too, on the same path. We have fairly well realized that sublimation and development are not achievable only by forming councils and so on, and that is why Malaysia’s current PM is after bringing a turning point on the way of our economy. Iran needs creativity and innovation. In my opinion, we have been quite lucky after gaining our independence.

You just referred to peace, stability and privatized economy. Can we remain hopeful to practice Malaysia’s pattern in Iran given all the tensions in the Middle East and sanctions against Iran?

I’m pretty much aware of how difficult it is to remain unruffled in the Middle East. But if you take a look at the history of Southeast Asia, you will comprehend that there had been a lot of tensions having taken place there. We have regional feuds. It should one day be decided upon whether or not are we decisive enough to commit to bringing full-scale peace and stability in the region which could lead to economic developments. In Southeast Asia, the prospective the ASEAN founders had primarily nurtured for themselves was to bring peace and stability to the region and then achieve economic developments.

Considering your explanations, then President Rouhani’s détente approach shall undoubtedly have positive impacts on Iran’s economy.

Sure.

What is your take on Presidents Rouhani’s détente approach?

I believe that this is important for every country in the region. We hope that after implementing peace and stability, all countries will be able to benefit and head toward economic development.

Considering the presence of Malaysian car manufacturers in Iran, is there any new plan in this regard?

As you correctly mentioned, Proton cars were purchased by Iran a few years ago. We hope to have a return to Iran’s market soon. Before I came here, a number of Malaysian delegates had visited Iran. I hope to be able to make contact with them while I’m serving here.

What are your plans to hold a joint economic forum between the two countries?

There have been numerous discussions I held with both countries’ governments, esp. Iran’s, regarding how they prefer this matter to be. What we all agree upon during the talks was that the merchants from both countries should know more of each other. In the talks with the chairman of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, he expressed his willingness to me for inviting his Malay counterpart. I was also informed that Iran’s Deputy Economy Minister had been in contact with the Ministry of International Trades and reached a conclusion that an Iranian committee had better visit Malaysia and take part in a seminar during which they could provide Malaysian investors with whatever information they seem to be in need of.

That merchants, businessmen and economic activists travel regularly to Malaysia is really interesting. Easing the issuance of visa can really expedite that matter. Aren’t there any plans to provide Iranian citizens and merchants with easier visa processes?

It is necessary that I underline that revising visa issuance processes has already happened toward all countries, not just Iran. In Iran, we reduced the 90-day period of visa issuance to 14 days. But that doesn’t mean that Iranians cannot travel to Malaysia within 2 weeks. They can visit the embassy, fill out a few forms and pay the least amount of nearly $3.5.

But we see many people who have visa problems to visit Malaysia.

If they have the forms the process requires and pay the sum, then there shall be no problem at all.

What are the related laws?

First off, there should exist an invitation or a form which clarifies for us for what purpose the applicant wants to visit Malaysia, and after that, there should be a bank statement of 3000 ringgits (less than $1000). Later, they should fill out some forms and provide us with two pictures and then they will have the passport.

Peace is what guarantees economic growth and investor attraction. But in a fairly short period of time, two great incidents have completely influenced Malaysia’s economic and political atmosphere. I’m talking about the two plane crashes Malaysia incurred. How have these crashes affected Malaysia’s economy?

The crash of MH17 happened on July 17 and MH370 disappeared in March. Those planes carried a large number of Chinese tourists. Then, we wanted to attract Chinese tourists, for it was the Year of Visiting Malaysia.

The cargo on the first plane was also suspicious. It was first claimed that there were a limited number of lithium batteries on board, but later it became clear that the number was large. Why should a passenger plane carry so many lithium batteries?

I know that for a fact that the plane carried those batteries, but I honestly do not know why. The government of Malaysia, however, refrains from further talking about this matter unless the evidence suffices.

That about 100 AIDS specialists were on the second plane and they all died has really damaged the scientific community, esp. AIDS. Some even believe that the vaccine for AIDS and its creation is now postponed for years.

I believe that the death of every individual is a grave tragedy, and in this case, I should say that a great wealth of expertise was lost. About the recent plane, I should say that a truth-finding committee was formed which was led by the Netherlands. In my opinion, the plane which crashed in March can be dealt with only when a black box or residue is found thereof.

Are we prone to witness other disasters as such in Malaysia?

I hope not. But I have to say that before the disappearance of the first plane, the last plane which crashed in Malaysian airlines dates back to 1977. So I can say that our airlines are very much bright in that case and that is just unfortunate that such disastrous incidents have happened to us in such a short while.

I hope to never witness a third of this kind.

So do I .

If there is anything left, we’ll be glad to hear it.

I think our talks have gone pretty much authentically, and that is a good research you’ve done out there.