Malaysia protests to EU over envoy's criticism of policies

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Malaysia has protested against comments made by the European Union's outgoing ambassador who strongly criticized the Southeast Asian country's political and economic policies, according to a news report Saturday.

Ambassador Thierry Rommel, who left his post Tuesday after 4 ½ years, recently described Malaysia as a virtual "one-party state" that discriminates against minorities and foreign investors by openly favoring the majority Malay Muslims.

Malaysia's Foreign Ministry sent a note to the EU's office in Brussels on Friday to protest Rommel's remarks, the national news agency Bernama reported. Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar was quoted as saying the comments amounted to interference in Malaysia' domestic affairs.

"We are very happy that he has left Kuala Lumpur," Bernama quoted the minister as saying. "We feel that it is appropriate that his term has ended. While here, he had not helped to enhance the relations between Malaysia and EU."

Syed Hamid's aides and the European Commission's representatives in Malaysia could not immediately be reached for comment.

Rommel made his wide-ranging criticisms in recent interviews with several news organizations, but asked that his statements only be released after he left the country to avoid diplomatic trouble.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Rommel was especially critical of a decades-old affirmative action program - known as the New Economic Policy - for ethnic Malays, who form about 60 percent of Malaysia's 27 million people.

The program provides privileges to Malays in jobs, education, business and other areas. It is also used to enforce mandatory Malay equity in companies and in awarding government contracts. Foreign investors have long complained that this amounts to protectionism, but the government says it is needed to improve the Malays' standard of living.

Rommel also called Malaysia a "one-party state" where the executive is "all-powerful and not accountable."

Rommel's comments echo those of Malaysia's weak opposition parties, who say that the NEP has become a vehicle of patronage for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's United Malays National Organization party.

UMNO is the dominant force in the ruling National Front coalition, which also comprises smaller Chinese and Indian parties. Critics have said UMNO will never dismantle the NEP because doing so would lead to a loss of its power base.(**)