PM tells M'sia to negotiate

[suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

		Politics 
PM tells M'sia to negotiate
PRIME Minister Chuan Leekpai suggested on Monday that the best solution to
Malaysia's current political bickering is through negotiation between the
conflicting parties. 
Chuan refused to comment on charges against Malaysian reform politician
Anwar Ibrahim, saying it was under internal legal jurisdiction. 
''The best solution is for both parties to settle [the issue] between
themselves,'' Chuan said, adding that the conflict is at the party-level,
not national-level. 
Chuan said he has asked Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan to convey
Thailand's message to his Malaysian counterpart, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. 
The Thai prime minister joined other world leaders in expressing concern
about the political conflict between Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and
former deputy prime minister Anwar. 
Anwar was sacked by Mahathir last month and charged with 10 counts of
sodomy and corruption. 
Paul Tighe, charge d'affaires of the Australian Embassy in Bangkok, said
his leader -- Prime Minister John Howard -- may raise the situation in
Malaysia with his counterparts during the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation meeting in Kuala Lumpur. 
US Ambassador to Thailand William Itoh said Washington has stuck to its
previous statements, urging proper handling of the Anwar case. 
The Nation