Malaysia is not a lackey of any country - Najib

In maintaining cordial relations with superpowers, such as the United States (US) and China, Malaysia is not and has never been a lackey of any of those countries, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.

The prime minister said as a nation, Malaysia had been firm in holding its principles in international relations and had never been influenced or controlled by any countries.

He also refuted the allegation that Malaysia seemed to be controlled by the two superpowers when it developed very good relations with them.

"Our principle is to have cordial relations with all countries based on what we think fit. We are not a lackey (of any major power), we have never been. We have our own independent stand," he said on BernamaTV's 'Ruang Bicara Khas' talkshow aired on Astro Channel 502 on Saturday night.

Najib was interviewed for an hour at the Prime Minister's Office by Bernama Editor-in-Chief Datuk Zulkefli Salleh, BernamaTV Chief Executive Officer Datuk Ibrahim Yahaya and Bernama Assistant Editor Jamaluddin Muhammad in conjunction with Umno's 68th anniversary on May 11.

On US President Barack Obama's recent visit to Malaysia, Najib said he had conveyed to Obama about Malaysia's stand to continue championing the rights of the Palestinians who had been suffering from injustices over the past six decades.

"In this case, we do not compromise on our fight for the justice and rights of the people of Palestine. We carry on (with what we have been doing).

"But, this does not mean that we cannot have a strategic relationship with the United States," he said.

Obama's visit to Kuala Lumpur last month was the second by US President after almost 50 years.

During the visit, Najib and Obama also agreed to upgrade Malaysia-US bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Partnership, marking a new phase in the cooperation between the two countries, including in economic fields, security and education.