KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 20 — Malaysian Special Envoy to the United States Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis objected today to the US spying on Malaysia but deflected queries on what the government was doing to protect the privacy of its people.

Instead, the former ambassador to the US repeatedly told reporters in Parliament here that the Malaysian government was naturally against such spying, pointing out that the US Congress itself had already condemned the act.

“This is a global debate because they deemed that it is in their security interest to track a conversation.

“I think for us, we cannot accept that because you deemed it to be in your security interest but you cannot compromise the privacy, you have to be balanced. Even in their country it’s a problem,” he said.

“In fact, the members of the government have to face the Congress and the Congress are not happy with them snooping around, so even their members of Congress are not happy with their intelligence people snooping around them because they also object to it.

“So if their people are objecting them snooping around, for us of course we are not happy, how can you snoop around on our leaders,” Jamaluddin added.

But when prodded to state what the Malaysian government was doing to protect its people from being spied on, the leader refrained from offering an answer.

“You come vote in Rompin then I’ll speak more,” was all the Rompin MP would say.

Jamaluddin said it is for the Malaysian government to deal with how this revelation would affect the relationship between Malaysia and the US.

“I think Wisma Putra has done what is needed to be done and the rest we leave it to the government to decide,” he said.

Several days after news leaked that the US and Australia had purportedly used their diplomatic missions here to spy on Malaysia, Wisma Putra finally summoned the US ambassador and Australian High Commissioner on November 1 to formally file a protest.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman had said he had met with Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in Perth on the same day and told his counterpart that spying against “close friends” is not done as it could “severely damage” relations.

“In response, Minister Bishop informed that it is not the policy of the Australian government to comment on intelligence matters,” said Anifah in a statement released by his office.

“However, the minister accepted the concerns raised by Malaysia on the matter and assured that the Australian government places high importance on the close bilateral relations with Malaysia,” he added.

Anifah also said that Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry, represented by Deputy Secretary-General Datuk Ramlan Ibrahim, handed a protest note to Australian High Commissioner Miles Kupa and US Deputy Chief of Mission, Lee McClenny, representing the US ambassador to Malaysia, Joseph Y. Yun, who was out of town.