Fresh from the Saudi Arabia trip brouhaha, the government is in damage control mode again after the Prime Minister said Malaysia is open to talking with China about the South China Sea.

Instead of an official visit to Saudi Arabia, the Prime Minister could have just gone for an umrah trip to Mecca and not get caught in an embarrassing situation for not meeting the Saudi King and Crown Prince.

The Prime Minister’s suggestion that Asean should ‘carve out’ Myanmar may be good for debate but any action against a member state remains in doubt as the regional bloc’s current chair, Indonesia, pushes for further diplomatic talks with the military government.

The Prime Minister has instructed our envoys to bring back investment, among others, but he also needs to really understand the constraints they face in carrying out their job.

Land border and maritime delimitation negotiations take time – sometimes decades – for a good reason: each country fiercely protects its myriad interests.

For many years palm oil has been the victim of negative campaigning, especially in Europe and the United States.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim starts his overseas trips with a visit to Indonesia to further strengthen ties. The prime minister will soon appoint an envoy to Jakarta after the post has been left vacant for nearly two years.

No government can function well without a clear understanding of the role of the civil service. And public servants, sometimes mistreated by politicians, deserve some recognition.

TAN SRI Rafidah Aziz makes no apologies for being a fierce person and a slave driver as some people would describe her. If you are on the receiving end, you will just have to bear with it. But behind that steely persona, Rafidah is a very warm person.

CALL it nervousness or excitement, but even a seasoned politician like Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim must have felt overwhelmed by the atmosphere in the Balairong Seri at Istana Negara under the watchful gaze of Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’aya-tuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.

TWO important summits are taking place back to back in the region this week: the Asean summit in Phnom Penh and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) in Bangkok. Malaysia is a member of these two groupings.

More importantly, will this issue of sovereignty resonate with voters?