JEDDAH: Malaysian prime ministers have generally captured the imagination of the Muslim world with their vision and commitment to creating a prosperous, just and equitable society. Whether it was the late Tun Abdul Razak, Mahathir Mohamad or Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, they were all admired inside as well as outside Malaysia. Their common aim was to build their country from the bottom up into the modern state it is today. Mohammed Najib Tun Abdul Razak, the current prime minister, is no different.

Ever since he took office as the sixth prime minister in April 2009, the affable, wise, popular and politically astute 63-year-old leader has set in motion a series of measures that has seen his country fight off recession and successfully overcome the slowdown in the global economy. Today, under his leadership, Malaysian state-run companies are operating international airports, including the one in Istanbul, Turkey. They are also among the three top bidders for Jeddah’s airport project.
More than his business acumen and vision, Najib Razak’s decision to become part of the Saudi-led 34-nation military alliance and his unflinching stand against foreign (read Iranian) interference in the domestic affairs of other countries are seen as his distinguishing characteristics. Those traits differentiate him from ordinary leaders and turn him into an extraordinary statesman. Son of the late Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak, he was educated at St. John’s Institution in Kuala Lumpur and Malvern Boy’s College in Worcestershire, England, before earning a degree in industrial economics from Nottingham University.
The father of five children, Najib Razak has been in politics since the age of 23. During his current visit to Saudi Arabia, he spoke exclusively to Arab News on Tuesday evening in his suite at the Qasr Al-Sharq luxury hotel overlooking the Jeddah Corniche. He fielded questions on a range of issues, including the importance of Saudi Arabia in the Muslim world, why Malaysia chose to join the 34-nation Islamic Military Alliance, why Malaysia is against Russian intervention in Syria and why his country unreservedly condemned Iran for the recent attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad. Throughout the interview, he spoke in a measured tone and, as is evident from his answers, weighed his words carefully.

Following are excerpts from the interview:

Q: Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister, for granting us this interview. What is on your agenda on this current visit?
A: The main purpose is to reaffirm the excellent state of bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. And, in particular, to develop a warm and close working relationship with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and also with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. As part of the visit, I will be speaking at the Jeddah Economic Forum (which he did on Tuesday night) and I will also visit our soldiers and the soldiers of 20 other countries who are taking part in the North Thunder military exercise at King Khaled Military City in Hafr Al-Batin.

Q: Let me first ask you about trade ties. What is their status?
A: The level of bilateral trade between our two countries was $2.8 billion in 2015. This is a decrease from 2014 when it was $4 billion. This 16.4 percent decrease is due to economic headwinds and also because of the drop in oil prices. We want to take this relationship to a much, much higher level. A great deal depends on the price of oil because a huge chunk of our imports is crude petroleum and petroleum products.

Q: Before plunging into politics, you started your career with the Malaysian oil giant, Petronas. How do you see the volatility in the oil market?
A: It is good to have stability in the oil market. If the price is too high or too low, it is not good for the industry. You need to hold the price at a certain level so that it will allow investment in technological improvements and innovation. At the same time, it should not be too high because then it will lead to development of alternative sources. For example, shale oil came into play and...

Q: Changed the whole dynamics?
A: Absolutely. Yes.

Q: So what, according to you, is an ideal price for a barrel of oil?
A: I don’t know. I am not the expert. We would think that anything in the region of $40, plus or minus, is desirable.

Q: As defense minister, you changed the Malaysian military inside out. You turned it into a leaner and more robust military force. Now you are part of the Saudi-led 34-nation Islamic Military Alliance. Can you give us an idea about the abilities of your military?
A: Before I took over, our military was seen purely as a counterinsurgency force. We have done very well in eliminating the threat of communism. The Communists laid down their arms, and that is how we won the fight against Communist terrorists in our country. When I took over as defense minister, I developed a new defense policy.

Q: This was in the 1990s, right?
A: Yes, I am talking about 1990. That is when my first term as defense minister began.

Q: So you developed a new defense policy?
A: I developed a modern force, in the sense that it became a much more conventional military force with certain capabilities. I also stressed the need to have a combined fighting force. In other words, it must be seen as a force where all the three services are involved. I basically integrated the three services — land, air and navy.

Q: As we mentioned earlier, you are part of the Islamic Military Alliance created by Saudi Arabia with the participation of 34 countries. What is the message that you are sending by being part of this alliance?
A: Well, we are taking part in the military exercise, called North Thunder, so that we will have the capability to operate as part of a coalition. We are not involved in any actual military action in the region. With our participation in North Thunder, we want to send a strong signal that the security of Saudi Arabia is very important to us. We have a token force at the North Thunder, but we feel it is a very auspicious beginning. We have started small, and perhaps later on we will increase our level of participation (in the alliance).

Q: Do you think this alliance has come at the right time? Or it should have taken place much earlier?
A: It has come at the right time because the unity of the Muslim nation cannot be mere rhetoric. It has to be expressed by action. Saudi Arabia is under threat. Therefore, countries that are supportive of the Kingdom must be ready to stand by Saudi Arabia. Our actions must indicate our solidarity with Saudi Arabia. Being members of the Islamic Military Alliance sends a very strong signal that Saudi Arabia is not alone in facing the threat that may endanger it.

Q: Where do you place Saudi Arabia in the Muslim world?
A: Saudi Arabia is a key country in the Muslim world. It is the land of the Two Holy Mosques. It is important for us to ensure stability and peace in the Kingdom so that Saudi Arabia can provide the leadership to ensure that the two most revered places of worship continue to remain open to Muslims. I have developed a very close rapport with King Salman. I had a close and warm relationship with the previous king as well. I am looking forward to meeting King Salman. (He met King Salman in Riyadh on Wednesday). I am also looking forward to meeting the crown prince and the deputy crown prince.

Q: How do you see the regional conflicts and what is Malaysia’s stand on them?
A: It is important that we should not allow foreign interference in domestic affairs. That exacerbates the situation. There should be no foreign interference — direct or indirect, covert or overt. Interference fuels conflict and tension in the region. We must always strive for political and diplomatic solutions because military solutions cannot secure long-term peace.
Q: Talking about interference, Saudi diplomatic missions were recently attacked and torched in Iran. Malaysia was among the first to condemn the attacks, wasn’t it?
A: Yes, we condemned it unreservedly, because we believe any embassy is sacrosanct and its security must be safeguarded at all times.

Q: What is Malaysia’s position on Syria? Is it aligned with the Saudi position?
A: More or less. Our position is that there has to be a political and diplomatic solution. We would not like direct foreign intervention in Syria because that has not helped. If the conflict goes on, it will be fertile ground for extremist groups, such as Daesh, to gain greater influence and even territory. This will create a threat to many countries.

Q: You mentioned the threat of Daesh. Let me ask you this: The mainstream view is that Daesh is a direct reaction to the terrible atrocities committed by Iranian militias and Iranian-backed terrorist organizations, such as Hezbollah, in Iraq and Syria?
A: There are many theories behind the rise of Daesh. The jury is still out. Whatever the genesis of Daesh, its actions are very brutal and do not reflect the true face of Islam. Malaysia is very much with Saudi Arabia and other like-minded countries in dealing with the threat with all necessary strength.

Q: What is Malaysia’s stand on Bashar Assad?
A: We favor the general principle of a diplomatic solution. What started as a domestic problem should have been solved domestically, but instead it has opened the door to foreign countries and the entry of foreign powers. This has complicated matters.

Q: Mr. Prime Minister, when you talk about the general principle of no foreign interference in Syria, do you also mean the Russian intervention?
A: Yes. We don’t support Russian intervention in Syria.
Q: How are Malaysia’s relations with Iran?
A: We have a good working relationship with Iran but when sanctions were applied against Iran by the United Nations, we also applied them. In other words, we imposed the same sanctions that were imposed by the United Nations. We are against Iran having a nuclear capability, but Iran can develop nuclear power for peaceful purposes.

Q: Malaysia has been a very vocal and integral member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Ordinary Muslims feel that the OIC has not lived up to expectations. What are your thoughts?
A: We would like to see a more resurgent OIC. There is going to be a summit in Istanbul in April, which I will attend. We hope that something positive will come out of the meeting.

Q: Despite being a predominantly Muslim country, Malaysia is known for its multicultural ethos. We don’t see the kind of extremism and upheaval in your country that we see in other Muslim countries. What lesson can other Muslim countries learn from your example?
A: The solution to all our troubles can be found in Islam because Islam is a religion that preaches moderation. I have started an initiative called the Global Movement of Moderates which is based on the concept of “Wasatiyyah,” meaning the middle path or moderation. This is an Islamic concept. The concept promotes mutual respect. Even during the days of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, Islam coexisted with other religions. This can be used as a basis to promote common core values among people of different faiths. Malaysia has always believed in multiculturalism and a multireligious society. We have been able to ensure social harmony and peace. Of course, there have been challenges. What is important for us is to work for common values and ensure that those who abuse or exploit sensitive issues that affect or hurt the feelings of any community are dealt with in accordance with the rule of law.

Q: Your Excellency, you have just come back from performing Umrah. What was uppermost in your prayers when you were circumambulating the Holy Kaaba in the Grand Mosque in Makkah?
A: There is so much violence in the Muslim world. We see that on a daily basis. As a Muslim leader, it is very sad to see that more Muslims are dying at the hands of Muslims than by non-Muslims. We still have major unresolved problems. The Palestinian issue, for example, is still unresolved. Some Muslim countries have been rendered ungovernable. Libya, for example. And the rise of extremism in many parts of the Muslim world. The unfortunate part is that the actions of some groups have led to very negative reactions in the West toward Islam. The rise of Islamophobia is a great concern.

Q: Malaysia has played the role of a facilitator between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Philippine government. There has been a severe setback to the peace process. Can you share something on that with our readers, many of whom are Bangsamoros and Filipinos?
A: I just had a meeting with Haji Murad Ebrahim, chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and I urged him and convinced him to continue the path toward peace, toward the final resolution of the Bangsamoro Basic Law which is yet to be passed by the Philippine Congress. Unfortunately, the term of the present Congress will expire soon. Or, in fact, has already expired. The law will not be passed by the current Congress. It will have to wait until a new Congress and a new president takes office. We hope that whoever comes after Benigno Aquino III will be as committed as he was because it is of no interest to anybody, for us or to anybody, including the Philippine government, to see a new cycle of violence in the southern Philippines (Mindanao).

Q: Is there anything you would want to add?
A: I would like to look into the ways and means of deepening Malaysia’s relationship with Saudi Arabia. For example, Malaysia has been awarded the Al-Mashaaer Al-Mugaddassah Makkah Metro Southern Line project. In some of the key infrastructure projects in the Kingdom, Malaysian companies could be given a chance to compete. They can be considered for those projects. A Malaysian state-run company, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), is bidding to manage King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah. We are among the three bidders for the project. We have extensive experience in managing international airports, including the one in Istanbul. We won the Istanbul airport project through competitive bidding. So, we would like to increase the footprint of our companies here in Saudi Arabia.

Q: Thank you very much, Mr. Prime Minister.
A: Thank you.