US Embassy Denies Hadi Awang's Interference Claim — SkimNews
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- David Gamble Jr, US Charge d'Affaires in Malaysia, said on Sept 6 that the US had never sought to determine Malaysia's political leadership and that "any account to the contrary is false."
- Hadi Awang alleged on Sept 5 during the 72nd PAS annual congress that a US Embassy representative had asked whom PAS would propose as prime minister if the opposition assumed power.
- Hadi said the alleged meeting took place when PAS was part of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition, and that he attended alongside former PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali.
- Hadi recounted turning the question back on the ambassador, asking, "Who does America agree with?" — a response he said former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad later praised as "a good response."
Why it matters: The embassy's formal denial transforms Hadi's anecdote into a public diplomatic disagreement, with the word "false" leaving no diplomatic room for hedging. Hadi's invocation of Dr Mahathir's endorsement shows the PAS leader is using the story to project defiance against alleged foreign interference, while the US is signalling it wants no role in choosing Malaysia's next leadership.
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