IF NOT FOR ME, Malaysia won't have received MH17 bodies - Najib rushes to claim credit for close ties with rebel leader

Malaysia's neutrality in its foreign policy was a key factor in persuading Ukrainian separatists to hand over the bodies of the victims of flight MH17, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today.

He said that Malaysia's foreign policy was based on principles, which meant being willing to cultivate relationships with anyone.

"Based on our stand, Ukrainian separatist leader Alexander Borodai had agreed to hand over the two flight recorders of flight MH17 to Malaysia," Najib said.

"If I had not developed this understanding with Borodai, I do not think that Malaysia would have received the bodies on Friday," he said.

On Friday, which had been declared a national day of mourning, the remains of 20 Malaysians who perished aboard MH17 arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Najib had been asked about who Malaysia would choose between China and the United States during the 8th Malaysian Student Leaders Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

"Malaysia practices a pragmatic and principle-based foreign policy, where we are not beholden to any country," he said.

"If Malaysia had been beholden to the United States, I do not think that we would have received the remains of MH17 so fast," Najib added.

Najib gave another example of Malaysia's neutral foreign policy, citing his January 2013 visit to the Hamas-controlled Gaza strip in the Middle East.

"I visited the Gaza strip in a humanitarian mission, as I sympathised with the plight of the people there," he said.

"I met senior Hamas leaders and exchanged pointers with them. However, it does not mean that Malaysia agrees with Hamas's views," Najib stressed.

Najib told the students that there was no need to choose between the United States and China.

"The United States has advanced technology, elite universities and various other qualities which Malaysia can benefit from," he said.

"China boasts one of the fastest growing economies in the world and already enjoys a US$100 billion (RM320 billion) bilateral trade with Malaysia."

Najib said Malaysia and China had an ambitious target that bilateral trade between both countries would reach US$160 billion (RM506 billion) within five years.

Furthermore, Najib said, Chinese tourists contributed significantly to Malaysia's tourism sector, especially with their strong purchasing power.

He said there was no need to choose between the two superpowers as Malaysia cultivated friendly ties with everyone.

Earlier in his officiating address, Najib described 2014 as an extraordinary year for Malaysia, marked by the loss of MH370 and MH17.

"2014 is a year for Malaysia which is defined by twin tragedies, a year when we lost 91 of our citizens, a year when the eyes of the world turned to the country."

"While we felt sorrow and grief for the people who lost their lives and for the families who mourned them, I think many of us also felt pride."

Najib said that during the country's most difficult time, Malaysians united in public prayer, in memorial, in goodwill and in efforts to find and bring home the victims of MH370 and MH17.

He said it was a touching and poignant moment on Friday when the entire nation stood still for a minute as the bodies of MH17 victims were carried out.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 departed from Kuala Lumpur on March 8 and was bound for Beijing when it dropped off the radar.

The biggest and costliest search and rescue operation in aviation history has failed to unearth any clues to the whereabouts of MH370 and the 239 people aboard.

On July 17, flight MH17 departed from Amsterdam bound for Kuala Lumpur with 15 crew members and 283 passengers.

However, as MH17 was flying over eastern Ukraine, it was struck by a surface-to-air missile which resulted in all aboard perishing. –TMI