JASIN, Aug 19 (Bernama) -- Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said today the expression of support by former Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was a personal matter on the part of a leader who did not enjoy supports in his own country. He said the support for Anwar by Abdul Rahman, better known as Gus Dur, would neither in any way add to the reputation of the de facto Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) leader nor change the opinion of voters in Permatang Pauh with regards to Anwar. "Gus Dur's was a personal expression of views by a former president of Indonesia whose stand and reputation we, in Malaysia, are aware of," he told reporters after attending a programme organised by the Jasin UMNO division here last night. Rais was responding to a statement by Gus Dur at a news conference held at the PKR headquarters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Gus Dur had claimed that the legal system in Malaysia was undemocratic and questioned the need for the Internal Security Act. He also questioned Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan's swearing on the Quran over his accusation of sodomy against Anwar, saying the oath was not in accordance with Islamic law. Earlier in his speech, Rais said the quota system in the UMNO elections should be abolished as it encouraged money politics. He said the structure in UMNO should also be changed to make it more democratic. -- BERNAMA

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 8 (Bernama) -- Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim wants the United States to stop meddling in Malaysia's internal affairs as the country has its own set of laws. He said Malaysian laws were passed by Parliament and there was no need for other countries to look down on Malaysia over the administration of its laws. "Our Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code originate from the Common Law. "Therefore, there is no reason whatsoever, for any power on earth to criticise another country's internal administration of justice," he told reporters after the flag-hoisting ceremony in conjunction with the 41st Asean Day celebration here, Friday. He was responding to a statement by former US vice-president Al Gore that the Malaysian government was involved in "character assassination to silence an effective leader of the political opposition". Rais hoped that Al Gore would stop "goring" at Malaysia and it was about time for him to examine himself, while there were also other important things for leaders to say instead of focusing on Malaysia. "We've had enough of this criticism, but if they have a substantive legal problem that they would like to highlight internationally, they are welcome to discuss with us but in a manner that is judicious, careful and respectful," he said. Asked whether the ministry would summon the US ambassador to explain, "We have been summoning people too often lately. I think for now, we just let this go. "As the Minister of Foreign Affairs, I would like to send this message loud and clear -- stop meddling in our internal affairs. "We can say the same thing about Guantanamo, we can say about the Malaysians being detained there, but we did not do that as we have respect for the systems of the world." Meanwhile, Rais called on Asean member states to be exemplary to the world by upholding their Asian values like a give-and-take attitude, being positive towards their neighbours, and helping each other. "What more with the creation of the Asean Charter, we want to ensure a much brighter future for Asean, whether in the political, economic, security or socio-cultural sphere." He said the outside challenge would be threats to the Asean way of living and values and preventing Asean from being used by any power to impose hegemony over the region. Earlier, in his remarks, Rais said although there were achievements and milestones in the history of Asean, skeptics and critics focused on its shortcomings and continued to debate on the relevance and effectiveness of Asean. He said through the collective wisdom and resolve of its leaders, the Asean Charter had become a reality, setting the stage for an organisation with a legal personality bound by institutional rules and standards, and empowered to engage the world in a more constructive and powerful way. "The Charter will strengthen Asean and instil it with a renewed sense of purpose, while reaffirming key Asean principles and objectives," he said. -- BERNAMA