KUALA LUMPUR – In a rare and direct diplomatic rebuttal, the United States Embassy in Malaysia has dismissed allegations that Washington sought to influence the choice of Malaysia’s prime minister.
“The United States has never sought to decide Malaysia’s political leadership. Any account to the contrary is false,” stated US Chargé d’Affaires a.i. David H. Gamble Jr. in an official response posted on X.
The United States has never sought to decide Malaysia's political leadership.
— U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur (@usembassykl) September 6, 2026
Any account to the contrary is false.
DAVID H. GAMBLE JR.
CHARGE D'AFFAIRES A.I. pic.twitter.com/fjhaSaIjzg
The sharp denial comes after PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang alleged during his winding-up speech at the 72nd PAS Muktamar that a US ambassador had previously approached him to influence the country’s top leadership.
According to Hadi, the meeting occurred while PAS was part of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.
“The ambassador asked, ‘Who does PAS propose as prime minister?’ I asked him back, ‘Who does America agree with?'” Hadi claimed, adding that former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad later praised his retort.
Washington’s swift social media dismissal shuts down the Islamist party chief’s narrative, reaffirming that the US maintains a strict non-interference stance regarding Malaysia’s sovereign domestic politics. – September 6, 2026