By Stephanie Jacob
This past Sunday, US President Barack Obama had a press conference which the local press was invited to cover. Unfortunately it seems the invitation was only to make up the numbers, as the US president did not even take a single question from the Malaysian contingent.
Let me tell you how I had spent my Sunday this past weekend. I had a press conference to attend in Kuala Lumpur, scheduled to start at 3pm. Usually taking into account KL traffic, I would have left at 1.45pm to make sure I made it on time.
But this was not any ordinary press conference, rather it was US President Barack Obama’s press conference. So knowing there would be heavy security, I left at 11am instead to make sure I got there with plenty of time to spare.
The US Embassy, which had issued the invitation, informed us that security screening would start at 1pm. But by slightly after 12.30pm, there were already more than 30-plus reporters, photographers and cameramen milling about waiting to be processed through security.
At the designated time, White House officials began their security screening process. We were taken forward in groups of 10. Heavy equipment and laptops had to be left to one side for inspection by security officials and sniffer dogs were brought in as well.
Meanwhile, each person was scanned with a security wand similar to those used in airports or at stadiums. The checks took about 20 minutes per group.
Being in the second group to pass security, I entered the room at about 1.40pm and took one of the “local” press designated seats, which started from the third row onwards. The first two rows had been reserved for the US delegation and the US travel press pool reporters.
Obama was due to arrive at 3pm, which meant there was an hour’s wait (it would drag on to an almost a two-hour wait). Nonetheless, spirits were high among the local press as we waited for things to start and discussed our questions.
We had a range of topics we wanted to cover. At various events over Friday and Saturday, the president had commented on a range of topics. He had stumped hard for Malaysia and all the other countries negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) to sign the agreement.
Later, he had a meeting with the leaders of civil society groups, non-governmental groups and representatives of Malaysia’s free media. According to reports, he listened to their concerns and commended their work.
Reports also suggested that Obama had brought up the imprisonment of jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim during his bilateral talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. So there were many Malaysian- and Asean-focussed questions to be asked of the US president.
About 15 minutes before the US president arrived, the US press arrived to take their seats. Shortly after, an aide came out to place the US presidential seal on the podium. And everyone began to prepare for the US president’s arrival, getting out notebooks, checking recorders and readying cameras.
Barack Obama
A short while later, Obama strode in the hall and with little fanfare launched into his opening comments. He thanked Malaysia and congratulated the government and the people of the country for putting together a successful Asean summit.
He talked about his “focus on Asia” strategy and explained why he thought the US-Asia relationship is an important one. He then moved on to address the terrorist attacks which had taken place recently and concluded by reiterating his commitment to defeating the Islamic State group.
Then the US president said he would take some questions – the reason which the local press came despite having to endure an airport-like security and sit around patiently for almost two hours. We were to be disappointed though, because the US president already had a list of those he planned to take questions from and none of them were from the local press!
Unfortunately, for reasons only known by him or the White House press team, Obama did not take a single question from any of the local press present. Instead, he took five questions from reporters in the US travel pool.
Not that they were bad questions, it is just that almost all did not have anything to do with Malaysia or Asean. It was only during the very last part of the very last question that local press got something relevant, where the reporter asked if Obama had broached the subject of human rights, corruption and the controversy surrounding 1Malaysia Development Bhd with Malaysian prime minister.
And three cheers for Colleen McCain Nelson of The Wall Street Journal who asked the question, because if not, the Malaysian press would have wasted their entire Sunday afternoon.
If you are wondering, Obama replied: “I do not comment on investigations that are ongoing in the US and I am certainly not going to comment on an investigation that is taking place in a country where I am a visitor.
“But I did raise with Najib, as I have raised with many other leaders, the importance of transparency and accountability,” he said. He also said that countries which deal with corruption will succeed and those that do not will fail.
“If countries solve the problem, even if they are resource poor and landlocked, they will do better. And if they do not solve the problem it does not matter how much they are blessed by natural resources or their size or geography, they are going to fail,” Obama said.
As the US president wrapped up the his remarks, hopeful hands shot up and one or two local reporters called out their questions in the hope that he would address their questions. He did not, instead he strode off stage and out of sight, leaving frustrated local press looking at each other going “what was the point of that?”.
If the White House officials did not think our questions about the TPP, the South China Sea dispute or Obama-Najib discussions were important, then why invited us? We can take the story from the agencies.
Perhaps the US president felt that his trip was nearing its end and he wanted to turn his focus back to domestic issues, which is fair enough.
But he did not need 30 plus local press there for that. The decision to invite us there, and then not even take one question, was disrespectful and a waste of time for every local reporter who attended.
It also did not give us the chance to ask the US president some important questions on issues like the TPP, which the US president has been hard selling his entire trip. Or on how firm a stand he had taken on respecting human rights and a free press.
And perhaps that’s the biggest disappointment of all.
GRRRRR!!!
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