KSCIP Closure May Jeopardise Malaysia-Saudi Ties

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 (Bernama) -- The government should send a delegation to meet Saudi King Salman Abdul Aziz Al-Saud to discuss on the decision to close the King Salman Centre for International Peace (KSCIP), said UMNO Youth chief Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki. He said this was to ensure that the closure would not affect Malaysia‘s close relations with Saudi Arabia. Asyraf Wajdi said the unilateral decision made without any discussion with the Saudi Arabian government could have an impact on bilateral relations between the two countries. The former deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department said the decision was also feared to jeopardise the large-scale economic cooperation such as the RM31 billion investment by Saudi Aramco in the Petronas Rapid project in Pengerang. “This project could lead to the creation of high-income jobs to make Malaysia the most important petrochemical hub in the region,” he said in a media statement here Wednesday. Asyraf Wajdi was commenting following Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu’s statement on the closure of KSCIP temporary office at Jalan Ampang last Monday. --BERNAMA