PUTRAJAYA, 5 Nov 2008: Malaysia today hailed Barack Obama’s victory in the US presidential election, with Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim saying it was a momentous occasion not only to Americans but also to humankind.
Congratulating Obama, he said, Malaysia welcomed the victory as a new beacon in the struggle for the fulfilment of democracy.
“As the first black president of the United States, his victory reflects the positive outlook of the American people, that they are able to see beyond skin colour, religion or belief in electing their leaders.
“Obama’s victory represents the high hopes among Americans and also bring about numerous positive possibilities in international relations, especially in the context of US-Malaysia relations in the years to come,” he said in a statement.
He also said Malaysia would continue with the efforts to maintain and enhance the harmonious and mutually-beneficial relations with the US.
Malaysia, he said, was hoping that the Obama administration would give a more balanced attention to the developing nations in the context of humanitarian, development and multilateral relations.
“Malaysia also hopes that the Obama-led government would be more considerate of the sovereignty of small states and not give preference to hard power as a means to resolve global problems,” he said. — Bernama
