Trump’s Controversial Pick for Malaysia Envoy to Get Anwar’s ‘Due Consideration’
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said his government will give “due consideration” to President Donald Trump’s pick as ambassador, seeking to balance relations with Washington and domestic ire over some of the potential envoy’s political commentary.
Anwar has faced pressure to reject the nominee, Nick Adams, an Australian-American commentator and a self-described “alpha male” Trump supporter. Critics within the Muslim-majority country have labeled him Islamophobic, citing his social media posts supporting Israel, and pointed to his enthusiasm for racy restaurant chain Hooters as out of sync with its cultural norms.
“The government will give it due consideration while maintaining good relations between Malaysia and the United States,” Anwar told reporters Friday, state-run Bernama reported. He added it was too early to comment further.
Rejecting Adams risks complicating Malaysia’s efforts to negotiate with the Trump administration to lower its threatened 25% levy, scheduled to start Aug. 1. The Southeast Asian nation is also seeking to ease Washington’s concerns over suspicions it’s been used to divert sensitive technology to China, circumventing US regulations.
Adams has sought to assuage concerns, addressing Malaysians in an X post last week, saying “I can’t wait to experience your noble culture and learn much from you.”
His appointment still needs to be confirmed by the US Senate, where Trump’s Republican party holds a slim majority. He could face a rocky hearing there, where the president’s pick to serve as ambassador to neighboring Singapore struggled to answer questions about the city-state and its ties to Washington.
Malaysian government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil has said that the country has the right to reject the ambassador, but that it hasn’t received an official notice regarding the nomination, according to Bernama.
“Malaysia deserves better,” Kasthuri Patto, a Malaysian lawmaker in the ruling Democratic Action Party, allied with Anwar, said in a statement Wednesday, accusing Adams of “sexism, misogyny and religious bigotry.”
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
