More than a decade after the fact, a claim has surfaced in Kuala Lumpur that touches one of the oldest anxieties in postcolonial politics: the suspicion that great powers quietly shape the destinies of smaller nations. PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang alleges that American embassy officials, during Barack Obama's 2014 visit to Malaysia, broached the possibility of helping his party displace the ruling government — an overture he says his party refused. The United States Embassy has responded with a categorical denial, insisting it has never sought to determine Malaysia's political leadership, le
US Embassy denies offering to help PAS topple Malaysian government
The United States has never sought to decide Malaysia's political leadership.
Mark
Why would Abdul Hadi bring this up now, twelve years later? What changed?
Mimi
That's the question everyone's asking. He doesn't say in his statement. It could be political positioning, or something else entirely.
Luke
Right—and we should note that we only have his version of what was said. Takiyuddin confirms a meeting happened, but his account is narrower. He says they were asked a question, not offered help.
Mark
So did the US offer to help, or did they just ask if PAS wanted to topple the government?
Mimi
According to Abdul Hadi, they discussed the possibility of helping. According to Takiyuddin, they asked whether PAS planned to do it. Those are different things.
Luke
Exactly. And the US says neither happened—that they never sought to decide Malaysia's leadership. We have three versions now.
Mark
What about the ambassador asking him to name a prime minister candidate?
Mimi
Abdul Hadi says that happened in a separate meeting. He says he turned it around and asked which candidate the US supported.
Luke
But we don't have the ambassador's account of that conversation. We only have Abdul Hadi's recollection of it, and his interpretation of what it meant.
Mark
Did PAS actually consider the offer, or did they reject it immediately?
Mimi
Abdul Hadi says they rejected it. Takiyuddin says they made no decision because they didn't want foreign interference.
Luke
Those statements aren't quite the same either. One says they said no. The other says they didn't decide. That's worth noticing.
Mark
Why would the US deny this so firmly if it was just a routine diplomatic conversation?
Mimi
Because the allegation is that they tried to interfere in Malaysia's internal politics. That's a serious charge. Of course they'd deny it.
Luke
True. But we should also ask: what would constitute proof either way? We have no documents, no recordings, no third-party witnesses. It's testimony against denial.
O Pulso
- A dormant allegation has suddenly broken the surface: PAS's top leader claims US diplomats offered covert political support to topple Malaysia's government back in 2014.
- The US Embassy moved swiftly to contain the damage, with Chargé d'Affaires David Gamble issuing a flat denial that Washington has ever sought to decide who leads Malaysia.
- PAS's own Takiyuddin Hassan partially corroborated the account, confirming the embassy meeting took place and that questions about bringing down Barisan Nasional were raised — though he framed it as inquiry, not offer.
- The timing is conspicuous: the allegation arrives more than ten years after the alleged meetings, long after the 2018 election that ended Barisan Nasional's rule amid the 1MDB scandal.
- What remains unresolved is not just who is telling the truth, but why this account is being told at all — and what political purpose its telling serves in Malaysia today.
More than a decade after the fact, a claim has surfaced in Kuala Lumpur that touches one of the oldest anxieties in postcolonial politics: the suspicion that great powers quietly shape the destinies of smaller nations. PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang alleges that American embassy officials, during Barack Obama's 2014 visit to Malaysia, broached the possibility of helping his party displace the ruling government — an overture he says his party refused. The United States Embassy has responded with a categorical denial, insisting it has never sought to determine Malaysia's political leadership, leaving two irreconcilable accounts and the deeper question of why this memory has been brought into the open now.
On September 6th, the United States Embassy in Malaysia issued a direct rebuttal to PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, who had alleged that American officials offered to help his party overthrow the sitting government. David H. Gamble Jr., serving as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, stated that the United States had never sought to determine who would lead Malaysia, and that any account suggesting otherwise was false.
Abdul Hadi's accusation centered on events from 2014, during Barack Obama's visit to Malaysia, when PAS was still part of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. He claimed that party officials — including Takiyuddin Hassan and Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar — had attended embassy meetings where representatives raised the possibility of supporting PAS in displacing the government. Abdul Hadi said his party rejected any such overture. He also described a separate encounter with the US ambassador, during which he was asked which candidate PAS would put forward for prime minister — a question he deflected by asking which candidate Washington preferred.
Takiyuddin offered a partial corroboration, confirming he attended the meeting and that embassy representatives had asked whether PAS intended to bring down the Barisan Nasional government. He framed the exchange as a question posed rather than a formal offer, and stressed that PAS had made no commitment, unwilling to permit foreign interference in Malaysian affairs.
The broader context is the 2018 general election, when Barisan Nasional fell to Pakatan Harapan following a campaign dominated by the 1MDB scandal and corruption allegations against then prime minister Najib Razak. That the alleged 2014 meetings are only now being disclosed — more than a decade later — leaves the episode suspended between competing recollections, with the true substance of those conversations, and the reasons for their sudden surfacing, still very much in question.
On September 6th, the United States Embassy in Malaysia issued a direct rebuttal to claims made by PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, who had alleged that American officials had offered assistance to help his party overthrow the sitting government. David H. Gamble Jr., serving as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, stated flatly that the United States had never sought to determine who would lead Malaysia, and that any account suggesting otherwise was false.
Abdul Hadi's accusation had surfaced a day earlier, centered on events from 2014 during former US president Barack Obama's visit to Malaysia. According to the PAS leader, party officials had been invited to meetings at the American Embassy while PAS was still aligned with the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. He named two attendees: Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan, then PAS assistant secretary-general, and Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, who served as his political secretary. Abdul Hadi claimed that during these meetings, embassy representatives had broached the subject of supporting PAS in an effort to displace and assume control of the government.
The PAS president said his party rejected any such overture. He also recounted a separate encounter with the US ambassador, during which he was asked which candidate PAS would propose for prime minister. Abdul Hadi responded by asking which candidate the United States favored. He later discussed this exchange with former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who he said endorsed his approach to the question.
Takiyuddin corroborated parts of Abdul Hadi's account in a separate statement. He confirmed attending the embassy meeting and said that embassy representatives had inquired whether PAS intended to bring down the Barisan Nasional government then in power. Takiyuddin emphasized that PAS had made no commitment because the party was unwilling to allow foreign governments to meddle in Malaysian affairs. He did not dispute that such a conversation had occurred, but framed it as a question posed rather than an offer made.
The backdrop to this dispute is the 2018 general election, when Barisan Nasional lost power to Pakatan Harapan. That victory came after a campaign centered on the 1MDB financial scandal and corruption allegations against then prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. The timing of Abdul Hadi's disclosure—more than a decade after the alleged 2014 meetings—raises questions about why the claim emerged now and what prompted him to make it public. The US Embassy's categorical denial stands against the recollections offered by PAS officials, leaving the substance of what was actually discussed in those rooms a matter of competing accounts.
Citações Notáveis
The United States has never sought to decide Malaysia's political leadership. Any account to the contrary is false.— US Chargé d'Affaires David H. Gamble Jr.
PAS had rejected foreign interference in Malaysia's politics and made no decision because it did not want foreign countries interfering in the country's affairs.— Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan, PAS assistant secretary-general
Quer a matéria completa?
Leia o original em Malay Mail ↗
Politics & Governance