M’sia Received 3 Demarche From U.S But What Does It Mean?

Amidst the current conflict between Palestine and Israel, both the Malaysian public and government have taken a firm stance on the former’s side. Our solidarity towards Palestine is so apparent, some Malaysians are even boycotting brands and franchises that we believe provide financial aid towards Israel. With all that said, the news of our unrelenting support has reached the U.S embassy, which led to Malaysia receiving 3 demarche letters.

Malaysia has been served 3 warning letters from U.S

Recently, Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim revealed that Malaysia has received three “démarche“, or diplomatic notices, from the U.S embassy for refusing to recognise H4mas as a t*rrorist group. According to Malaysia’s ambassador to Washington, Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, the U.S’s state department expressed their displeasure with the PM for his statements that criticised Israel, labelling the Zionist regime as “t*rrorist.”

Two letters were sent to Wisma Putra on October 13 and October 30, while the other letter was sent on October 18, calling Mohamed Nazri to the U.S state department to explain Putrajaya’s firm stance on the conflict.

The state department even requested for Malaysia to issue a statement that sympathised with Israel to which Mohamed Nazri replied,

“I told the US State Department representative that Malaysia will not bow to any pressure simply because it supports the Palestinian cause.”

During the solidarity rally for Palestine, Anwar claimed that he was threatened by the U.S for his criticism of the Israel government and our continued support for those in Gaza after receiving the demarche. This aroused concern within the nation, but it also surfaced a few sceptics.

Is Malaysia actually in trouble?

PAS found the claims by the PM of being threatened “strange” and “laughable”. The party’s secretary-general, Takiyuddin Hassan, asserted that the statement made by Anwar Ibrahim detracted focus from the rally for Palestinians to boast about the “greatness” and “importance” of the PM.

“If the ‘threat’ in question really exists and takes place, as the head of government, wouldn’t the proper step for the Prime Minister to take be to call the ambassador or representative of the country involved to convey Malaysia’s objection to it, instead of making an open statement without explanation about it?

“In addition, it can also create a negative image of the country because the prime minister makes such random and imaginary allegations.”

In that same vein, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s Machang MP, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal, believes that the use of the word “threat” makes it appear very serious, and he asserts that it isn’t. He also stated that the term demarche was inaccurately used by the PM.

“The prime minister used the term démarche — a French term which refers to an official diplomatic stance of a government made toward another country. So what was mentioned [in Parliament] was not a threat, but an official stance by the US towards us, and I’m sure this is always done [in the past].”

Tapi kita bukan orang Perancis. The term demarche is literally foreign to us and when used in such an urgent context, it can cause panic within the nation, especially during times of war. So, we decided to do some homework and find out exactly what a demarche is and what it can mean for the country if we receive it multiple times.

Apa itu demarche?

Démarche in French literally translates to a ‘step’ or ‘proceeding’, but in a diplomatic context, it is the formal communication of one government’s official position, views or wishes on a given subject to an official in another government.

Senang kata, the demarche given to Malaysia by the U.S embassy is basically them asking us nice-nice to follow their views on the Palestine-Israel conflict by recognising H4mas as a t*rrorist group. Think of it as when your mother catches you with your hand in the cookie jar before dinner and says, “Aip, don’t ah…”

The thing is, Malaysia has actually issued a demarche ourselves to a Chinese ambassador in 2021. This happened when a Chinese air force flew 16 transport planes in formation close to Malaysia’s national air space without prior notification. The foreign minister at the time, Hishammuddin Hussein, issued the demarche to ask for an explanation.

What came out of it? Well, no ties were severed with China and Hishammuddin even publicly thanked the country for their contribution for Covid-19 vaccines.

But that’s just one. What happens when you get 3 demarche letters?

Well, when you get your hand caught in the cookie jar enough times, don’t you think the rotan will come out?

A demarche is a warning, but an ‘ultimatum’ is the rotan

Former Foreign Minister, Syed Hamid Albar, warned the government not to overlook the 3 demarche letters issued by the U.S. Being issued a demarche is considered normal, but receiving it repeatedly, especially when you consider the subject of the letter, can lead to something more serious and even threatening. This is what’s called an ‘ultimatum’.

An ultimatum is exactly what it sounds like, even in a diplomatic context. It is issued when a government wants to express their displeasure at developments in relations with another government. In short, it’s a final warning that sounds like, “You better follow what I say, or else…” But what actually happens when you get an ultimatum?

Ultimatums are used to negotiate for a settlement on a disagreement, so it will come with implicit consequences if the other party refuses to come to terms. This is known as an “unfriendly act”, which can lead to the parties forcing a settlement.

Think of it as getting into an argument over the phone and the fella says, “Jumpa kat mamak, kita bincang sana,” but when you get there, you see that he brought a parang. If the both of you come to an agreement, you’ll just shake hands and walk away unscathed. But, if one party refuses, that parang might be used to force you into submission.

Basically, if we don’t respond to the letters being sent by the U.S embassy in a favourable manner, it could lead to the outcomes below, which are ranked based on severity:

• peaceful settlement
• mediation: A process that includes a neutral third party to assist on negotiations
• arbitration: A process that includes one or more arbitrators who will make a binding decision on the dispute
• reprisal: An act of retaliation that would otherwise be unlawful, but justified as a response to another unlawful act by the other party
• pacific blockade: Applying pressure to the other party without war
• war

Right now, both sides are walking a political tightrope

If the situation continues to escalate, we may not necessarily see an all-out war, but it could take the form of soured relationships which affect trade and economy.

During a discussion over the demarche in parliament, Foreign Minister, Zambry Abdul Kadir, believes that we should not be taking this lightly, as the letter has been sent 3 times followed by a call to our ambassador in Washington. He suggests looking at certain measures that can be used to convey our stance on the issue, such as sending protest notices or calling the US ambassador.

“We were asked to state our stand and state our sympathy, we said no. Because Malaysia’s position — Malaysia’s principle is very clear, in terms of the Palestinian struggle — it’s not something new, since back in the day, and we need to affirm this when we interact with them (US government).” – Zambry Abdul Kadir, as quoted by Malay Mail

But if there’s one thing that’s certain, it’s that Anwar is not backing down as the voice of our country’s views on the Palestine-Israel conflict, which is made clear when he spoke on the topic in parliament: