KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 — Malaysia’s bilateral relations with China has not been affected by the uproar over the statement made last week by the republic’s ambassador to Malaysia Dr Huang Huikang over the Petaling Street fiasco, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said today.
The Umno leader also expressed confidence that the foreign affairs ministry would be able to handle the matter diplomatically.
“I believe that the bilateral ties between China and Malaysia is always strong and will continue to be strong.
“It is under Wisma Putra and they are able to manage it. Let the diplomatic channels resolve it. I don't think it will affect the bilateral relations,” he told reporters today in Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM).
On matters security-related, Hishammuddin said the diplomatic flap would not likely create any problems for both nations.
“If it does bring problems on the issue of security and defence, it would have come to be but it didn't.
“So I believe that it's not so serious and it will affect the defence arrangements between Malaysia and China unless other people who want to turn it to be that way,” he added.
Hishammuddin also urged Malaysians on social media not to prejudge the ministry’s handling of the matter, saying that there was a tendency to be emotional when discussing such issues via the medium.
“I understand the ambassador has already given an explanation, let Wisma Putra handle this,” he said.
Huang was reported to have said that China opposes “any form of discrimination against races and any form of extremism” during a walkabout last Friday in Petaling Street, dubbed the capital city’s Chinatown.
He was speaking ahead of a planned rally by a pro-government group that was reported to be demanding more Malay participation in the tourist shopping street.
His remarks caused an uproar among Umno members who felt that Huang was trying to meddle with local politics.
Huang had yesterday also met with acting foreign affairs minister Datuk Hamzah Zainudin who is stepping in for Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, to explain his remarks, in Putrajaya.
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