Thursday December 23, 2010
Singapore official responds to ‘leaks’ issue
By LESTER KONG
KUALA LUMPUR: Singapore’s top foreign ministry official, implicated in damning remarks on Malaysia and its leadership after a leak by a whistleblower website, has finally responded to the issue.
Hounded by Malaysian and Singaporean press at a Malaysia-Singapore senior officials meeting here yesterday, Bilahari Kausikan at first avoided the waiting media by going through another entrance of the hotel.
About 40 minutes later, he came out smiling when reporters approached him during a lunch break but refused to answer any question related to the WikiLeaks release of diplomatic cables between the United States and Singapore.
“We don’t comment on leaks of any kind or there will not be an end to it,” he replied three times when asked by reporters.
Pressed by reporters to describe the atmosphere of the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Implementation Team on the implementation details of the Points of Agreement, Kausikan said his Malaysian counterpart Datuk Mohad Radzi Rahman was an old friend.
“Radzi and I are old friends. We are both very professional,” he added.
Kausikan said the two-day meeting was going on smoothly.
“We are making substantial progress. We hope to fulfil the mandate given by our ministers by Dec 31, otherwise we will turn into pumpkins and roll away,” he told reporters lightheartedly.
Singapore official responds to ‘leaks’ issue
By LESTER KONG
KUALA LUMPUR: Singapore’s top foreign ministry official, implicated in damning remarks on Malaysia and its leadership after a leak by a whistleblower website, has finally responded to the issue.
Hounded by Malaysian and Singaporean press at a Malaysia-Singapore senior officials meeting here yesterday, Bilahari Kausikan at first avoided the waiting media by going through another entrance of the hotel.
About 40 minutes later, he came out smiling when reporters approached him during a lunch break but refused to answer any question related to the WikiLeaks release of diplomatic cables between the United States and Singapore.
“We don’t comment on leaks of any kind or there will not be an end to it,” he replied three times when asked by reporters.
Pressed by reporters to describe the atmosphere of the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Implementation Team on the implementation details of the Points of Agreement, Kausikan said his Malaysian counterpart Datuk Mohad Radzi Rahman was an old friend.
“Radzi and I are old friends. We are both very professional,” he added.
Kausikan said the two-day meeting was going on smoothly.
“We are making substantial progress. We hope to fulfil the mandate given by our ministers by Dec 31, otherwise we will turn into pumpkins and roll away,” he told reporters lightheartedly.
