VZCZCXRO1848
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHKL #0286 1091248
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 181248Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0833
INFO RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN IMMEDIATE 0175
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE 0418
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS IMMEDIATE 0198
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA IMMEDIATE 2525
RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA IMMEDIATE 0121
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 1063
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY C O N F I D E N T I A L KUALA LUMPUR 000286 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR ISN, T, IO AND EAP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2018 
TAGS:          
SUBJECT: MALAYSIA HAS NOT STOPPED IRAN AT ARMS SHOW 
 
REF: A. KUALA LUMPUR 274 - MINDEF SAYS NO IRAN 
      B. KUALA LUMPUR 269 - IRAN AT ARMS SHOW 
      C. STATE 39049 
 
Classified By: Political Section Chief Mark D. Clark reasons 1.4 (b and 
 d). 
 
 1.  (C) Summary:  The Malaysian Foreign Ministry on April 18 
blocked the Defense Ministry's efforts to exclude Iran from 
the Defense Services Asia (DSA) military sales exhibition. 
The Embassy submitted a diplomatic note, and carried out a 
joint demarche with the UK and France at the Foreign 
Ministry, which met with an angry response.  At this point, 
it appears the Malaysian government has not stopped Iranian 
entities from joining DSA and Iranian entities are still 
listed by DSA as exhibitors.  End Summary. 
 
 2.  (C) According to the information available to us, the 
Malaysian Defense Ministry issued a written "recommendation" 
late on April 17 that Iranian entities not be permitted to 
participate in DSA (ref A).  Private DSA organizers began 
acting on that basis on the morning of April 18, and informed 
Iranian officials accordingly.  Iranian officials reportedly 
intervened with the Malaysian Foreign Ministry, and the 
Foreign Ministry did not support the Defense Ministry's 
position.  The Foreign Ministry reportedly argued that 
Malaysia did not have a strong basis for reversing the 
decision and excluding Iran.  Because of lack of consensus 
between the Defense Ministry and the Foreign Ministry, we 
understand there is no formal Malaysian government position 
to stop Iran's participation in DSA. 
 
 3.  (C) The Ambassador, DCM, polchief, DATT and others 
lobbied Defense and Foreign Ministry officials during the 
course of April 18.  The Embassy also sent a diplomatic note 
to the Foreign Ministry in which we reiterated highlights 
from the non-paper (ref C) and requested Malaysian government 
action to prevent Iranian entities from participating in DSA 
(text sent to EAP/MTS). 
 
 4.  (C) Taking advantage of a pre-scheduled event at the 
Foreign Ministry on April 18, Embassy poloff joined British 
and French DCMs in a joint demarche on the Foreign Ministry's 
Undersecretary for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Bala 
Chandran Tharman.  The British DCM underlined that Iran's 
participation would clearly violate the letter and spirit of 
UNSCR 1747, while the French DCM stressed that from a 
political perspective the invitation undermined the 
negotiating process and efforts to bring collective 
international pressure on Iran.  Poloff emphasized that the 
USG fully shared these concerns and noted that the Embassy 
had conveyed a diplomatic note to this effect.  Bala Chandran 
said he was fully knowledgeable concerning the UN resolutions 
and also aware of all elements of Iran's participation in the 
arms show, and he saw no breach of the UNSCRs.  Departing 
angrily from customary diplomatic language, Bala Chandran 
further expressed strong irritation over what he 
characterized as excessive, overly demanding interventions, 
especially from the British side, regarding this matter. 
Bala provided no indication the Foreign Ministry would change 
its position on DSA. 
 
 5.  (C) As of late on April 18, the Malaysian government has 
not prohibited Iranian entities from DSA, per senior Defense 
and Foreign Ministry officials.  Four Iranian exhibitors 
remain listed on the DSA website. 
 
 6.  (C) Embassy intends to continue lobbying senior officials 
in the Defense Ministry with the understanding that the 
Defense Ministry might have the final say in the Iran DSA 
matter. 
KEITH