Oleh/By  	:	DATO SERI DR MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue	:	WASHINGTON D.C.
Tarikh/Date	:	15-05-2002
Tajuk/Title 	:	THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE NEW 
			CHANCERY BUILDING
Versi 		:	ENGLISH
Penyampai	:  	PM
		    

      I   am  very  happy  indeed  to  launch  this  new
   Malaysian  Embassy in Washington, the  capital  of  the
   most powerful nation in the world.  Malaysia's presence
   here  will  not  make  much difference  to  this  great
   country  in  terms of its politics, economy or  foreign
   relations.   But to Malaysia it is extremely  important
   that  we  have our ears to the ground to hear  what  is
   going  on  so  that we will be able to look  after  our
   interest and react in a suitable manner to the policies
   and situations resulting from the democratic process of
   periodical changes in Governments.
        
   2.    Here too is to be found most of the embassies and
   representatives of the countries of the world.  We will
   be  able not only to listen to their views but we  will
   also be able to interact with them.
   
   3.    Obviously  having an embassy in Washington  would
   serve  us very well indeed.  It is costly for  a  small
   country  but it pays.  Although Malaysia may not  be  a
   very  significant trading partner of the United States,
   but  the  United States is our biggest trading partner,
   accounting  for a fifth of our exports and representing
   the biggest partner in terms of our trade.  Roughly  20
   percent  of our trade of some 170 billion U.S.  Dollars
   is  with  the  United States.  Quite obviously  if  the
   United  States  prospers we prosper and if  the  United
   States  experiences a downturn as it did  in  2001  our
   economy will be badly affected.  In addition we have  a
   large  number  of  Malaysian students studying  in  the
   United States.
   
   4.    The political community in Washington I am  told,
   is  made up of some 171 embassies, 18,000 congressional
   staffers,  74,000 lawyers, 38,000 registered lobbyists,
   4,500  correspondents and editors, political activists,
   hundreds of think tanks, public affairs and other types
   of  consultants. All can impact on the way  we  conduct
   our relations with the United States.
   
   5.    The  media has always been able to influence  the
   thinking  of people everywhere but never more  so  than
   now.   The television has given birth to new techniques
   of  reporting  that can really shape  the  policies  of
   nations and the world.  Because this is the seat of the
   most powerful Government, it is important to be able to
   gauge  what  effect  the  media  reports  have  on  the
   attitudes  or  perceptions of the  decision  makers  of
   Washington.  This places a great responsibility on  the
   embassy  and  its staff to gather information  for  our
   Government  and  to  advise us on  what  would  be  the
   appropriate action or reaction on our part.
   
   6.    For  a  long time Malaysia was not  getting  good
   factual  coverage  because of our habit  of  doing  and
   saying  unconventional things.  But today circumstances
   has proven that we were doing the right things even  if
   they  were not quite orthodox.  It had been very costly
   for us.  But once people begin to understand us better,
   our  relations  especially with our  erstwhile  critics
   improved.  We do not know how long this situation  will
   last.   We  have  therefore to ensure  that  we  detect
   quickly  incipient changes in perceptions and  opinions
   so  as  to be able to correct them early.  That is  the
   task of our embassy here.
   
   7.    In  setting up an embassy here the Government  is
   making  a  good  investment.  We know we have  profited
   much  even  though there had been quite a few  hiccups.
   In fact without the embassy the number of hiccups could
   have been more and could last longer.
   
   8.    We have sent the most senior and the best foreign
   office  people here.  Ambassador Ghazzali should really
   be  heading the Foreign Office but so important is this
   post  in Washington that he has to make a sacrifice  by
   staying  at his post here.  I would like to  thank  him
   very much.  I greatly appreciate his work here and  the
   arrangement  that he has made for my  visit.   I  would
   also like to thank all the embassy staff for their hard
   work.  I know they will be inspired to do more with the
   new embassy that we have built here.
   
   9.    A  building  is of course not everything  but  at
   least  it  will enable the ambassador and his staff  to
   work  in more comfortable surroundings.  I am sure  our
   investment in the building will pay off.
   
   10.  On that note, I now declare this Embassy open.

   Sumber : Pejabat Perdana Menteri