China envoy meets acting Foreign Minister

PUTRAJAYA, Monday – Chinese ambassador to Malaysia, Huang Huikang met acting Foreign Minister Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin here today amid confusion if he been called up over his recent Petaling Street remarks.

Huang, who was accompanied by an aide, arrived to meet Hamzah, who is Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister, about 11.35 am at the latter’s ministry.

Details of the meeting were not available, as attempts to get Huang to comment on the meeting were futile after he left the building avoiding the waiting media at the ministry’s lobby at about 2 pm via a different exit.

Hamzah’s official said Hamzah would not be issuing any statement on the meeting but Wisma Putra would be doing so.

Wisma Putra in a statement yesterday said that it would summon Huang to seek clarification on the statement he made during a visit to Petaling Street on Friday.

“During the visit, he was interviewed by the media and subsequent media statements resulting from that interview had attracted attention and caused concern to the Malaysian public.

“The ministry hopes this meeting will help clear the matter,” the statement said.

The meeting, which was scheduled to be held at Wisma Putra, here today, however did not materialise, and prompted media personnel who had waited since 7 am to rush to Hamzah’s ministry after they were tipped off about the Huang-Hamzah meeting.

At an event in Kuala Lumpur earlier, Huang had denied being summoned by Wisma Putra.

However, Wisma Putra official when contacted today said the summon on Huang was still on. – Bernama

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