Trump's controversial pick for Malaysia envoy to get Anwar's ‘due consideration'
Anwar has faced pressure to reject the nominee, Nick Adams, an Australian-American commentator and a self-described 'alpha male' Trump supporter. Critics within the Muslim-majority country have labelled him Islamophobic, citing his social media posts supporting Israel, and pointed to his enthusiasm for racy restaurant chain Hooters as out of sync with its cultural norms.
'The government will give it due consideration while maintaining good relations between Malaysia and the United States,' Anwar told reporters on Friday (Jul 18), state-run Bernama reported. He added it was too early to comment further.
Rejecting Adams risks complicating Malaysia's efforts to negotiate with the Trump administration to lower its threatened 25% levy, scheduled to start Aug 1. The South-east Asian nation is also seeking to ease Washington's concerns over suspicions it's been used to divert sensitive technology to China, circumventing US regulations.
Adams has sought to assuage concerns, addressing Malaysians in an X post last week, saying 'I can't wait to experience your noble culture and learn much from you.'
His appointment still needs to be confirmed by the US Senate, where Trump's Republican party holds a slim majority. He could face a rocky hearing there, where the president's pick to serve as ambassador to neighbouring Singapore struggled to answer questions about the city-state and its ties to Washington.
Malaysian government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil has said that the country has the right to reject the ambassador, but that it hasn't received an official notice regarding the nomination, according to Bernama.
'Malaysia deserves better,' Kasthuri Patto, a Malaysian lawmaker in the ruling Democratic Action Party, allied with Anwar, said in a statement on Wednesday, accusing Adams of 'sexism, misogyny and religious bigotry.' BLOOMBERG
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
29 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Excitement, concern at send-off for S'pore's Columbia-bound freshmen amid US political uncertainty
The campus protests and recent political turmoil had no impact on their decision to apply to Columbia, a few freshmen told The Straits Times. SINGAPORE - The wide-eyed Ivy League prospects milled about, exchanging pleasantries and exuberant hellos at a Columbia University send-off for Singapore freshmen on Aug 2. But this year's iteration of the annual tradition, held at the function room of the Horizon Towers condominium in Leonie Hill, differed slightly from past editions. It took place in the wake of a much-publicised crackdown by the US government on the country's elite universities over accusations of anti-Semitic behaviour on campuses and bias in diversity, equity and inclusivity (DEI) initiatives. This followed a wave of pro-Palestinian protests on US campuses in 2024, prompted by the outbreak of the Gaza war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in October 2023. For Columbia, negotiations with the Trump administration ended on July 23, with the school agreeing to pay more than US$200 million (S$255 million) to the US government as settlement, in exchange for the re-instatement of federal funding which had been cancelled in March. But the campus protests and recent political and financial turmoil had no impact on their decision to apply to the New York school, a few students told The Straits Times at the event organised by the Columbia Singapore Students Association (SSA). The event had about 15 attendees. One outgoing freshman, who did not wish to reveal her name, said: 'I believe that a lot of institutions have recently had massive protests. But at the end of the day, you get the same quality education, world-class professors, and opportunities. 'In the grand scheme of things, these events don't impact your education to a degree that you would think they do.' Another remained upbeat, saying: 'I'm excited but also nervous about the whole idea of going to college. It's about exposing yourself to new things, new people, new friends, new activities, and stepping outside your comfort zone.' In May, the Trump administration asked its overseas missions to cease scheduling fresh appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants. The move, said Reuters, came as the administration sought to ramp up deportations and revoke student visas as part of its wide-ranging efforts to fulfil the US leader's hardline immigration agenda. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Opening of Woodlands Health has eased load on KTPH, sets standard for future hospitals: Ong Ye Kung Singapore New vehicular bridge connecting Punggol Central and Seletar Link to open on Aug 3 Singapore New S'pore jobs portal launched for North West District residents looking for work near home Singapore HSA investigating teen allegedly vaping on MRT train Asia KTM plans new passenger rail service in Johor Bahru to manage higher footfall expected from RTS Singapore Tengah facility with over 40 animal shelters, businesses hit by ticks Business Property 'decoupling' illegal if done solely to avoid taxes: High Court Singapore 60 years of building Singapore Part of those efforts also included tightening the vetting of foreign students' social media accounts in a bid to identify any who may pose a threat to the US' national security. Two freshmen told ST that they would be switching their Instagram accounts to 'public' before entering the US, to facilitate such checks. They added that they did not mind doing so. One SSA committee member who is a current Columbia student and did not wish to reveal his name, told ST that some of the matriculating students 'have shared some concerns, including visa and safety issues, and whether or not they may be able to express themselves freely'. He added that the club is hoping to support them as they navigate the transition to university abroad amid the current climate. Other American universities, including Duke University and several campuses in the University of California system, are still being investigated by the Trump administration. Even at Columbia, the environment remains somewhat cautious ahead of the new academic year which begins in September. The campus is gated and security forces are omnipresent, another SSA committee member who is also a current Columbia student, added. 'Most people know that the situation is very sensitive and tense,' he said. 'It's about juggling that tension, while still being at school and trying to live like a normal university student.'
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Trump fires US labour official over data and gets earlier than expected chance to reshape Fed
Signage is seen at the United States Department of Labor headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 29, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly WASHINGTON/NEW YORK - President Donald Trump on Friday fired a top Labor Department official on the heels of a market-shocking weak scorecard of the U.S. job market, accusing her without evidence of manipulating the figures and adding to already growing concerns about the quality of economic data published by the federal government. In a second surprise economic policy development, the door for Trump to make an imprint on a Federal Reserve with which he clashes almost daily for not lowering interest rates opened much earlier than anticipated when Fed Governor Adriana Kugler unexpectedly announced her resignation on Friday afternoon. The two developments further rattled a stock market already reeling from his latest barrage of tariff announcements and the weak jobs data. The benchmark S&P 500 Index sank 1.6% in its largest daily drop in more than two months. Trump accused Erika McEntarfer, appointed by former President Joe Biden, of faking the jobs numbers. There is no evidence to back Trump's claims of data manipulation by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the statistical agency that compiles the closely watched employment report as well as consumer and producer price data. A representative for the BLS did not respond to a request for comment. Friday began with BLS reporting the U.S. economy created only 73,000 jobs in July, but more stunning were net downward revisions showing 258,000 fewer jobs had been created in May and June than previously reported. "We need accurate Jobs Numbers. I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY. She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Opening of Woodlands Health has eased load on KTPH, sets standard for future hospitals: Ong Ye Kung Singapore New vehicular bridge connecting Punggol Central and Seletar Link to open on Aug 3 Singapore New S'pore jobs portal launched for North West District residents looking for work near home Singapore HSA investigating teen allegedly vaping on MRT train Asia KTM plans new passenger rail service in Johor Bahru to manage higher footfall expected from RTS Singapore Tengah facility with over 40 animal shelters, businesses hit by ticks Business Property 'decoupling' illegal if done solely to avoid taxes: High Court Singapore 60 years of building Singapore DATA CONCERNS A Trump administration official who requested anonymity said that while all economic data is noisy, the White House has been dissatisfied with how large the revisions have been in the recent data and issues with lower survey responses. The problem started during COVID and has not been addressed in the years since. "There are these underlying problems that have been festering here for years now that have not been rectified," the person said. "The markets and companies and the government need accurate data, and like, we just weren't getting that," the official said. The BLS has already reduced the sample collection for consumer price data as well as the producer price report, citing resource constraints. The government surveys about 121,000 businesses and government agencies, representing approximately 631,000 individual worksites for the employment report. The response rate has declined from 80.3% in October 2020 to about 67.1% in July, BLS data shows. A Reuters poll last month found 89 of 100 top policy experts had at least some worries about the quality of U.S. economic data, with most also concerned that authorities are not addressing the issue urgently enough. In addition to the concerns over job market data, headcount reductions at BLS have resulted in it scaling back the scope of data collection for the Consumer Price Index, one of the most important gauges of U.S. inflation, watched by investors and policymakers worldwide. Trump's move fed into concerns that politics may influence data collection and publication. "Politicizing economic statistics is a self-defeating act," said Michael Madowitz, principal economist at the Roosevelt Institute's Roosevelt Forward. "Credibility is far easier to lose than rebuild, and the credibility of America's economic data is the foundation on which we've built the strongest economy in the world. Blinding the public about the state of the economy has a long track record, and it never ends well." FED CHANGE SOONER THAN EXPECTED Meanwhile, Kugler's surprise decision to leave the Fed at the end of next week presents Trump an earlier-than-expected opportunity to install a potential successor to Fed Chair Jerome Powell on the central bank's Board of Governors. Trump has threatened to fire Powell repeatedly because the Fed chief has overseen a policymaking body that has not cut interest rates as Trump has demanded. Powell's term expires next May, although he could remain on the Fed board until January 31, 2028, if he chooses. Trump will now get to select a Fed governor to replace Kugler and finish out her term, which expires on January 31, 2026. A governor filling an unexpired term may then be reappointed to a full 14-year term. Some speculation has centered on the idea Trump might pick a potential future chair to fill that slot as a holding place. Leading candidates for the next Fed chair include Trump economic adviser Kevin Hassett, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh and Fed Governor Chris Waller, a Trump appointee who this week dissented with the central bank's decision to keep rates on hold, saying he preferred to start lowering them now. Trump, as he was leaving the White House to spend the weekend at his Bedminster, New Jersey, estate, said he was happy to have the open slot to fill. "I would not read any political motivation into what [Kugler is] doing, although the consequence of what she's doing is she's calling Trump's bluff," said Derek Tang, an analyst at LH Meyer, a research firm. "She's putting the ball in his court and saying, look, you're putting so much pressure on the Fed, and you want some control over nominees, well, here's a slot." REUTERS
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
India will buy Russian oil despite Trump's threats, NYT reports
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: A view shows oil pump jacks outside Almetyevsk, in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia July 14, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo Indian officials have said they would keep purchasing oil from Russia despite the threat of penalties that U.S. President Donald Trump said he would impose, the New York Times reported on Saturday. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. The White House, India's Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Trump last month indicated in a Truth Social post that India would face additional penalties for purchase of Russian arms and oil. However, he later said that he did not care what India does with Russia. On Friday, Trump told reporters that he had heard that India would no longer be buying oil from Russia. Two senior Indian officials said there had been no change in policy, according to the NYT report, which added that one official said the government had "not given any direction to oil companies" to cut back imports from Russia. Reuters had earlier reported that Indian state refiners stopped buying Russian oil in the past week as discounts narrowed in July. On July 14, Trump threatened 100% tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil unless Moscow reaches a major peace deal with Ukraine. Russia is the top supplier to India, responsible for about 35% of India's overall supplies. REUTERS
