No negative reaction to Qatar Emir's visit to Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia received no negative response from the Arab quartet, namely Arab Saudi, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt to the visit of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Hamad Al Thani to Malaysia on Oct 15.
Defence Minister and Minister with Special Functions, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein (pix) said the Malaysian embassies also reported no negatives reports on the visit by the media in these four countries.
He said currently, the conflict between Qatar and the other Arab countries did not threaten the good diplomatic relations between Malaysia and these countries.
"The government always hopes for an immediate solution to the conflict among the Gulf states and also supports any peace effort to resolve the conflict," he said at the Dewan Rakyat sitting, here, today.
He was replying to a question from Datuk Ahmad Nazlan Idris (BN-Jerantut) on the effects of the Emiir of Qatar's visit on bilateral relations between Malaysia and the Arab quartet.
Hishammuddin said the Emir of Qatar’s visit to Malaysia had a positive impact on the economic and trade ties between the two countries, besides the four memorandums of understanding signed.
He said the MoU’s were in the fields of diplomatic training, higher education, law and judiciary, as well as on the proposed setting up of the Malaysia-Qatar Joint Business Council.
To a supplementary question from Datuk Seri Hasan Arifin (BN-Rompin) on the role of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which is still unclear in resolving the Qatar-Arab quartet conflict, Hishammuddin said the OIC’s role was still relevant in resolving the crisis.
"We have no objection if the OIC continues to assist but the more concrete effort made by Kuwait as the go-between has been acknowledged by the OIC.
“So, if it has received the support and endorsement of OIC, I believe our aim and hopes of stronger unity among the Islamic countries can be achieved,” he said. — Bernama