Remarks by President Obama in Youth Town Hall

University of Malaya
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

3:54 P.M. MST

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, good afternoon.  Selamat petang.  Please, everybody have a seat.  It is wonderful to be here and it is wonderful to see all these outstanding young people here.  

I want to thank, first of all, the University of Malaya for hosting us.  I want to thank the Malaysian people for making us feel so welcome.  Anita, thank you for helping to moderate. 

These trips are usually all business for me, but every once in a while I want to have some fun, so I try to hold an event like this where I get to hear directly from young people like you -- because I firmly believe that you will shape the future of your countries and the future of this region.  And I'm glad to see so many students who are here today, including young people from across Southeast Asia.  And I know some of you are joining us online and through social media, and you’ll be able to ask me questions, too.

This is my fifth trip to Asia as President, and I plan to be back again later this year -- not just because I like the sights and the food, although I do, but because a few years ago I made a deliberate and strategic decision as President of the United States that America will play a larger, more comprehensive role in this region’s future. 

I know some still ask what this strategy is all about.  So before I answer your questions, I just want to answer that one question -- why Asia is so important to America, and why Southeast Asia has been a particular focus, and finally, why I believe that young people like you have to be the ones who lead us forward.

Many of you know this part of the world has special meaning for me.  I was born in Hawaii, right in the middle of the Pacific.  I lived in Indonesia as a boy.  (Applause.)  Hey!  There’s the Indonesian contingent.  (Applause.)  Yes, that’s where they’re from.  My sister, Maya, was born in Jakarta.  She’s married to a man whose parents were born here -- my brother-in-law’s father in Sandakan, and his mom in Kudat.  (Applause.)    And my mother spent years working in the villages of Southeast Asia, helping women buy sewing machines or gain an education so that they could better earn a living. 

And as I mentioned last night to His Majesty the King, and the Prime Minister, I’m very grateful for the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia for hosting an exhibit that showcased some of my mother’s batik collection, because it meant a lot to her and it's part of the connection that I felt and I continue to feel to this region.  

So the Asia Pacific, with its rich cultures and beautiful traditions and vibrant society -- that's all part of who I am.  It helped shape how I see the world.  And it's also helped to shape my approach as President. 

And while our government, our financial centers, many of our traditions began along the Atlantic Coast, America has always been a Pacific nation, as well.  Our biggest, most populous state is on the Pacific Coast.  And for generations, waves of immigrants from all over Asia -- from different countries and races and religions -- have come to America and contributed to our success. 

From our earliest years, when our first President, George Washington, sent a trade mission to China, through last year, when the aircraft carrier that bears his name, the George Washington, helped with typhoon relief in the Philippines, America has always had a history with Asia.  And we’ve got a future with Asia.  This is the world’s fastest-growing region.  Over the next five years, nearly half of all economic growth outside the United States is projected to come from right here in Asia. 

That means this region is vital to creating jobs and opportunity not only for yourselves but also for the American people.  And any serious leader in America recognizes that fact. And because you're home to more than half of humanity, Asia will largely define the contours of the century ahead -- whether it’s going to be marked by conflict or cooperation; by human suffering or human progress.  This is why America has refocused our attention on the vast potential of the Asia Pacific region. 

My country has come through a decade in which we fought two wars and an economic crisis that hurt us badly -- along with countries all over the globe.  But we’ve now ended the war in Iraq; our war in Afghanistan will end this year.  Our businesses are steadily creating new jobs.  And we’ve begun addressing the challenges that have weighed down our economy for too long --  reforming our health care and financial systems, raising standards in our schools, building a clean energy economy, cutting our fiscal deficits by more than half since I took office.

Though we’ve been busy at home, the crisis still confronts us in other parts of the world from the Middle East to Ukraine.  But I want to be very clear.  Let me be clear about this, because some people have wondered whether because of what happens in Ukraine or what happens in the Middle East, whether this will sideline our strategy -- it has not.  We are focused and we’re going to follow through on our interest in promoting a strong U.S.-Asia relationship.

America has responsibilities all around the world, and we’re glad to embrace those responsibilities.  And, yes, sometimes we have a political system of our own and it can be easy to lose sight of the long view.  But we have been moving forward on our rebalance to this part of the world by opening ties of commerce and negotiating our most ambitious trade agreement; by increasing our defense and educational exchange cooperation, and modernizing our alliances; by participating fully in regional institutions like the East Asia Summit; building deeper partnerships with emerging powers like Indonesia and Vietnam.

And increasingly, we’re building these partnerships throughout Southeast Asia.  Since President Johnson’s visit here to Malaysia in 1966, there’s perhaps no region on Earth that has changed so dramatically.  Old dictatorships have crumbled.  New voices have emerged.  Controlled economies have given way to free markets.  What used to be small villages, kampungs, are now gleaming skyscrapers.  The 10 nations that make up ASEAN are home to nearly one in 10 of the world’s citizens.  And when you put those countries together, you’re the seventh largest economy in the world, the fourth largest market for American exports, the number-one destination for American investment in Asia. 

And I’m proud to be the first American President to meet regularly with all 10 ASEAN leaders, and I intend to do it every year that I remain President.  (Applause.)  By the way, I want to congratulate Malaysia on its turn to assume the chairmanship of ASEAN next year.  (Applause.)  Malaysia plays a central role in this region that will only keep growing over time, with an ability to promote economic growth and opportunity, and be an anchor of stability and maritime security. 

Now, one of the things that makes this region so interesting is its diversity.  That diversity creates a unique intersection of humanity -- people from so many ethnic groups and backgrounds and religious and political beliefs.  It gives Malaysia, as one primary example, the chance to prove -- as America constantly tries to prove -- that nations are stronger and more successful when they work to uphold the civil rights and political rights and human rights of all their citizens.  (Applause.)

That’s why, over the past few years, Prime Minister Najib and I have worked to broaden and deepen the relationship between our two countries in the same spirit of berkerja sama that I think so many of you embody.  (Applause.)  The United States remains the number-one investor in Malaysia.  We’re partnering to promote security in shipping lanes.  We’re making progress on the Trans-Pacific Partnership to boost trade that supports good jobs and prosperity in both our countries.  Today, I’m very pleased that we’ve forged a comprehensive partnership that lays the foundation for even closer cooperation for years to come.

But our strategy is more than just security alliances or trade agreements.  It’s also about building genuine relationships between the peoples of Asia and the peoples of the United States, especially young people.  We want you to be getting to know the young people of the United States and partnering well into the future in science and technology, and entrepreneurship, and education.

One program that we’re proud of here in Malaysia is the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program.  (Applause.)  Hey, there we go.  (Laughter.)  Over the past two years, nearly 200 Americans have come here, and they haven’t just taught English -- they’ve made lifelong friendships with their students and their communities. 

One of these Americans, I’m told, was a young woman named Kelsey, from a city in Boston -- the city of Boston.  Last year, after the Boston Marathon was attacked, she taught her students all about her hometown -- its history and its culture.  She taught them a phrase that’s popular in Boston -- “wicked awesome.”  So that was part of the English curriculum.  (Laughter.) 

And so her students began to feel like a place -- that this place, Boston, that was a world away was actually something they understood and they connected to and they cared about.  They responded by writing get-well cards and sending them to hospitals where many of the victims were being treated.

Partnerships like those remind us that the relationship between nations is not just defined by governments, but is defined by people -- especially the young people who will determine the future long after those of us who are currently in positions of power leave the stage.  And that’s especially true in Southeast Asia, because almost two-thirds of the population in this region is under 35 years old.  This is a young part of the world.   

And I’ve seen the hope and the energy and the optimism of your generation wherever I travel, from Rangoon to Jakarta to here in KL.  I've seen the desire for conflict resolution through diplomacy and not war.  I've seen the desire for prosperity through entrepreneurship, not corruption or cronyism.  I’ve seen a longing for harmony not by holding down one segment of society but by upholding the rights of every human being, regardless of what they look like or who they love or how they pray.  And so you give me hope.

Robert Kennedy once said, “It is a revolutionary world that we live in, and thus it is young people who must take the lead.” And I believe it is precisely because you come of age in such world with fewer walls, with instant information -- you have the world at your fingertips, and you can change it for the better.  And I believe that together we can do things that your parents, your grandparents, your great-grandparents would have never imagined.

But today I am proud that we’re launching a new Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative to increase and enhance America’s engagement with young people across the region.  You’re part of this new effort.  You’re the next generation of leaders -- in government, in civil society, in business and the arts.

Some of you have already founded non-profit organizations to promote human rights, or prevent human trafficking, or encourage religious tolerance and interfaith dialogue.  Some of you have started projects to educate young people on the environment, and engage them to protect our air and our water, and to prevent climate change.  Some of you have been building your own ASEAN-wide network of young leaders to meet challenges like youth unemployment.  And I know that some of you have been spending this weekend collaborating on solutions to these major issues. 

And over the next few months, across Southeast Asia, we’re going to find ways to listen to young people about your ideas and the partnerships we can then build together to empower your efforts, develop new exchanges, connect young leaders across Southeast Asia with young Americans.

So that’s part of what we’re starting here today.  And before I take your questions, let me just close by sharing with you the future that I want to work for in this region, about where we want America’s rebalance in the Asia Pacific to lead, about the work we can do together. 

I believe that together we can make the Asia Pacific more secure.  America has the strongest military in the world, but we don’t seek conflict; we seek to keep the peace.  We want a future where disputes are resolved peacefully and where bigger nations don’t bully smaller nations.  All nations are equal in the eyes of international law.  We want to deepen our cooperation with other nations on issues like counterterrorism and piracy, but also humanitarian aid and disaster relief -- which will help us respond quickly to catastrophes like the tsunami in Japan, or the typhoon in the Philippines.  We want to do that together.

Together, we want to make the Asia Pacific more prosperous, with more commerce and shared innovation and entrepreneurship.  And we want to see broader and more inclusive development and prosperity.  Through agreements like the TPP, we want to make sure nations in the Asia Pacific can trade under rules that ensure fair access to markets, and support jobs and economic growth for everybody, and set high standards for the protection of workers and the environment.

Together, we want to make the Asia Pacific -- and the world –- cleaner and more secure.  The nations of this region are uniquely threatened by climate change.  No nation is immune to dangerous and disruptive weather patterns, so every nation is going to have to do its part.  And the United States is ready to do ours.  Last year, I introduced America’s first-ever Climate Action Plan to use more clean energy and less dirty energy, and cut the dangerous carbon pollution that contributes to climate change.  So we want to cooperate with countries in Southeast Asia to do the same, to combat the destruction of our forests.  We can’t condemn future generations to a planet that is beyond fixing.  We can only do that together.

Together, we can make this world more just.  America is the world’s oldest constitutional democracy; that means we’re going to stand up for democracy -- it’s a part of who we are.  And we do this not only because we think it’s right, but because it’s been proven to be the most stable and successful form of government.  In recent decades, many Asian nations have shown that different nations can realize the promise of self-government in their own way; they have their own path.  But we must recognize that democracies don’t stop just with elections; they also depend on strong institutions and a vibrant civil society, and open political space, and tolerance of people who are different than you.  We have to create an environment where the rights of every citizen, regardless of race or gender, or religion or sexual orientation are not only protected, but respected.

We want a future where nations that are pursuing reforms, like Myanmar, like Burma, consolidate their own democracy, and allow for people of different faiths and ethnicities to live together in peace.  We want to see open space for civil society in all our countries so that citizens can hold their governments accountable and improve their own communities. And we want to work together to ensure that we’re drawing on the potential of all our people –- and that means ensuring women have full and equal access to opportunity, just like men.  (Applause.)

And to make sure we can sustain all these efforts, we want a future where we’re building an architecture of institutions and relationships.  For America, that always begins with our alliances, which serve as the cornerstone of our approach to the world.  But we also want to work with organizations like ASEAN and in forums like APEC and the East Asia Summit to resolve disputes and forge new partnerships.  And we want to cooperate with our old allies and our emerging partners, and with China.  We want to see a peaceful rise for China, because we think it can and should contribute to the stability and prosperity that we all seek.

So that’s the shared future I want to see in the Asia Pacific.  Now, America cannot impose that future.  It’s one we need to build together, in partnership, with all the nations and peoples of the region, especially young people.  That vision is within our reach if we’re willing to work for it.

Now, this world has its share of threats and challenges, and that’s usually what makes the news.  We know that progress can always be reversed, and that positive change is achieved not through passion alone, but through patient and persistent effort. But we’ve seen things change for the better in this region and around the world because of the effort of ordinary people, together -- working together.  It’s possible.  We’ve seen it in the opportunity and progress that’s been unleashed in this amazing part of the world. 

I’ve only been in Malaysia for a day, but I’ve already picked up a new phrase:  Malaysia boleh.  (Applause.)  Malaysia can do it.  Now, I have to say, we have a similar saying in America:  Yes, we can.  That’s the spirit in which I hope America and all the nations of Southeast Asia can work together, and it’s going to depend on your generation to carry it forward.  As Presidents and Prime Ministers, they can help lay the foundation, but you’ve got to build the future. 

And now I want to hear directly from you.  I want to hear your aspirations for your own lives, your hopes for your communities and your culture, what you think we can do together in the years to come. 

Terima kasih banyak.  (Applause.)

MS. WOO:  Thank you very much, Mr. President.  If you may?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, I’m going to take the first question, and then I think Anita is going to take a question from social media.  This is tough because we have so many outstanding young people.  I’ll call on this young lady right here, right in the front. 

Tell me your name.  If you’re going to school, tell me what level you’re at, what year you are in school, and where you’re from.

Q    Hi, Mr. President.  I’m from Cambodia, and I went to Institute of Foreign Languages at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.  And I’ve got a very simple question for you.  What was your dream when you were in your 20s, and did you achieve it?  And if so, how did you achieve it?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, it’s a short question but it’s not a simple one.  (Laughter.)  When I was in high school -- so, for those of you who are studying under a different system, when I was 15, 16, 17, before I went to the university -- I wasn’t always the best student.  Sometimes I was enjoying life too much. (Laughter.)  Don’t clap.  (Laughter.)  This guy is the same way. (Laughter.)   No, part of it I was rebelling, which is natural for young people that age.  I didn’t know my father, and so my family life was complicated.  So I didn’t always focus on my studies, and that probably carried over into the first two years of university.

But around the age of 20, I began to realize that I could have an impact on the world if I applied myself more.  I became interested in social policy and government, and I decided that I wanted to work in the non-profit sector for people who are disadvantaged in the United States.  And so I was able to do that for three years after I graduated from college.  That’s how I moved to the city of Chicago.  I was hired by a group of churches to work in poor areas to help people get jobs and help improve housing and give young people more opportunity.  And that was a great experience for me, and it led me to go to law school and to practice civil rights laws, and then ultimately to run for elected office.

And when I think back to my journey, my past, I think the most important thing for -- and maybe the most important thing for all the young people here -- is to realize that you really can have an impact on the world; you can achieve your dreams.  But in order to do so, you have to focus not so much on a title or how much money you’re going to make, you have to focus more on what kind of influence and impact are you going to have on other people’s lives -- what good can you do in the world. 

Now, that may involve starting a business, but if you want to start a business you should be really excited about the product or the service that you’re making.  It shouldn’t just be how much money I can make -- because the business people who I meet who do amazing things, like Bill Gates, who started Microsoft -- they’re usually people who are really interested in what they do and they really think that it can make a difference in people’s lives. 

If you want to go into government, you shouldn’t just want to be a particular government official.  You should want to go into government because you think it can help educate some children, or it can help provide jobs for people who need work. 

So I think the most important thing for me was when I started thinking more about other people and how I could have an impact in my larger society and community, and wasn’t just thinking about myself.  That’s when I think your dreams can really take off -- because if you’re only thinking about you, then your world is small; if you‘re thinking about others, then your world gets bigger.

Thank you.  (Applause.)

MS. WOO:  Thank you, Mr. President.  We now have a question from the social media, which we’ve been collecting over the week.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Okay.

Q    The question comes from our friend from Burma, from Myanmar.  And he asks:  To Mr. President, what would be your own key words or encouragement for each of us leaders of our next generation while we are cooperating with numerous diversities such as different races, languages, beliefs and cultures not only in Myanmar, but also across ASEAN?  Thank you.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, it’s a great question.  If you look at the biggest source of conflict and war and hardship around the world, one of the most if not the most important reasons is people treating those who are not like them differently.  So in Myanmar right now, they’re going through a transition after decades of repressive government, they’re trying to open things up and make the country more democratic.  And that’s a very courageous process that they’re going through. 

But the danger, now that they’re democratizing is that there are different ethnic groups and different religions inside of Myanmar, and if people start organizing politically around their religious identity or around their ethnic identity as opposed to organizing around principles of justice and rule of law and democracy, then you can actually start seeing conflicts inside those countries that could move Myanmar in a very bad direction  -- particularly, if you’ve got a Muslim minority inside of Myanmar right now that the broader population has historically looked down upon and whose rights are not fully being protected. 

Now, that’s not unique to Myanmar.  Here in Malaysia, this is a majority Muslim country.  But then, there are times where those who are non-Muslims find themselves perhaps being disadvantaged or experiencing hostility.  In the United States, obviously historically the biggest conflicts arose around race.  And we had to fight a civil war and we had to have a civil rights movement over the course of generations until I could stand before you as a President of African descent.  (Applause.)  But of course, the job is not done.  There is still discrimination and prejudice and ethnic conflict inside the United States that we have to be vigilant against.

So my point is all of us have within us biases and prejudices of people who are not like us or were not raised in the same faith or come from a different ethnic background.  But the world is shrinking.  It’s getting smaller.  You could think that way when we were all living separately in villages and tribes, and we didn’t have contact with each other.  We now have the Internet and smart phones, and our cultures are all colliding.  The world has gotten smaller and no country is going to succeed if part of its population is put on the sidelines because they’re discriminated against. 

Malaysia won’t succeed if non-Muslims don’t have opportunity.  (Applause.)  Myanmar won’t succeed if the Muslim population is oppressed.  No society is going to succeed if half your population -- meaning women -- aren’t getting the same education and employment opportunities as men.  (Applause.)  So I think the key point for all of you, especially as young people, is you should embrace your culture.  You should be proud of who you are and your background.  And you should appreciate the differences in language and food.  And how you worship God is going to be different, and those are things that you should be proud of.  But it shouldn’t be a tool to look down on somebody else.  It shouldn’t be a reason to discriminate.

And you have to make sure that you are speaking out against that in your daily life, and as you emerge as leaders you should be on the side of politics that brings people together rather than drives them apart.  (Applause.)  That is the most important thing for this generation.  And part of the way to do that is to be able to stand in other people’s shoes, see through their eyes. Almost every religion has within it the basic principle that I, as a Christian, understand from the teachings of Jesus.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Treat people the way you want to be treated.  And if you’re not doing that and if society is not respecting that basic principle, then we’re going backwards instead of going forward. 

And this is true all around the world.  And sometimes, it’s among groups that those of us on the outside, we look -- they look exactly the same.  In Northern Ireland, there has been a raging conflict -- although they have finally come to arrive at peace -- because half or a portion of the population is Catholic, a portion is Protestant.  From the outside, you look -- why are they arguing?  They’re both Irish.  They speak the same language. It seems as if they’d have nothing to argue about.  But that’s been a part of Ireland that has been held back and is poor and less developed than the part of Ireland that didn’t have that conflict.

In Africa, you go to countries -- my father’s country of Kenya, where oftentimes you’ve seen tribal conflicts from the outside you’d think, what are they arguing about?  This is a country that has huge potential.  They should be growing, but instead they spend all their time arguing and organizing politically only around tribe and around ethnicity.  And then, when one gets on top, they’re suspicious and they’re worried that the other might take advantage of them.  And when power shifts, then it’s payback.  And we see that in society after society.  The most important thing young people can do is break out of that mindset. 

When I was in Korea, I had a chance to -- or in Tokyo rather -- I had a chance to see an exhibit with an astronaut, a Japanese astronaut who was at the International Space Station and it was looking at the entire globe and they’re tracking now changing weather patterns in part because it gives us the ability to respond to disasters quicker.  And when you see astronauts from Japan or from the United States or from Russia or others working together, and they’re looking down at this planet from a distance you realize we’re all on this little rock in the middle of space and the differences that seem so important to us from a distance dissolve into nothing. 

And so, we have to have that same perspective -- respecting everybody, treating everybody equally under the law.  That has to be a principle that all of you uphold.  Great question.  (Applause.)  Let me call on the -- I’m going to go boy, girl, boy, girl so that everybody gets a fair chance.  Let’s see, hold on.  This gentleman right here, right there with the glasses.  (Applause.)  There you go.

Q    Hello, Mr. President.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Hello.

Q    I’m from Malaysia, currently with YES Alumni Malaysia.  Well, I have a question.  I wondered what was your first project -- community service project that you didn’t like and how did the project impact your community?  Thank you so much.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  That’s a great question.  (Applause.)  I told you that when I graduated from college, I wanted to work in poor neighborhoods.  And so, I moved to Chicago and I worked.  This community had gone through some very difficult times.  The steel plants there, the steel mills had closed.  A lot of manufacturing was moving out of America or becoming technologically obsolete, these old mills.  And so, these were areas that had been entirely dependent on steel.  And as those jobs left, the communities were being abandoned.

And there was also racial change in the area.  They had been predominantly white, and then blacks and Latinos had moved in.  And there was fear among the various groups.  So they had a lot of problems.  I will tell you this, what I did was I organized a series of meetings listening to people to find out what they wanted to do something about first.  The most immediate problem they saw was there was a lot of crime that had emerged in the area, but they didn’t quite know how to do anything about it.  So I organized a meeting with the police commander, so that they could file their complaints directly to the police commander and try to get more action to create more safe space in those communities for children and to end people standing on street corners, because it was depressing the whole community.

Now, here’s the main thing I want to tell you.  That first meeting, nobody came.  It was a complete failure and I was very depressed, because I thought, well, everybody said that they were concerned about crime, but when I organized the meeting nobody came.  And what it made me realize is, is that if you want to bring about change in a community or in a nation it’s not going to happen overnight.  Usually, it’s very hard to bring about change, because people are busy in their daily lives.  They have things to do.  One of the things I realized was I hadn’t organized the meeting at the right time.  It was right around dinner time, and if people were working they were coming home and picking up their kids, and they couldn’t get to the meeting fast enough. 

So, first of all, you’ve got to try to get people involved.  And a lot of people are busy in their own lives or they don’t think it’s going to make a difference or they’re scared if they’re speaking out against authority.  And many of the problems that we’re facing, like trying to create jobs or better opportunity or dealing with poverty or dealing with the environment, these are problems that have been going on for decades.  And so, to think that somehow you’re going to change it in a day or a week, and then if it doesn’t happen you just give up, well, then you definitely won’t succeed.

So the most important thing that I learned as a young person trying to bring about change is you have to be persistent, and you have to get more people involved, and you have to form relationships with different groups and different organizations. And you have to listen to people about what they’re feeling and what they’re concerned about, and build trust.  And then, you have to try to find a small part of the problem and get success on that first, so that maybe from there you can start something else and make it bigger and make it bigger, until over time you are really making a difference in your community and in that problem.

But you can’t be impatient.  And the great thing about young people is they’re impatient.  The biggest problem with young people is they’re impatient.  It’s a strength, because it’s what makes you want to change things.  But sometimes, you can be disappointed if change doesn’t happen right away and then you just give up.  And you just have to stay with it and learn from your failures, as well as your successes.

Anita.

MS. WOO:  Mr. President, thank you very much.  We have a question from our friend in Singapore.  He asks, what is the legacy you wish to leave behind?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I’ve still got two and a half years left as President, so I hope he’s not rushing me.  (Laughter.)  But what is true is that as President of the United States, you have so many issues coming at you every day, but sometimes I try to step back and think about 20 years from now when I look back what will I be most proud of or what do I think will be most important in the work that I’ve done. 

Now, my most important legacy is Malia and Sasha, who are turning out to be wonderful young people.  (Applause.)  So your children, if you’re a parent the most important legacy you have is great children -- and I have those -- who are happy and healthy, and I think they’re going to do great things.  Another important legacy is being a good husband.  So I’ve tried to do that.  (Applause.)  That’s important, because if you don’t do those things well, then everything else you’re going to have some problems with.  (Laughter.)  

But I think as President, what I’ve tried to do in the United States is really focus on how do you create opportunity for all people.  And when I first came into office, we were in a huge financial crisis that had hit the entire world.  And it was the worst crisis the United States had had since the 1930s.  So the first thing I had to do was just make sure that we stop the crisis and start allowing the economy to recover.  And we've now created more than 9 million jobs and the economy is beginning to improve for a lot of people.  But what you’ve also seen is a trend in the United States but also around the world in which even when the economy grows, it tends to benefit a lot of people at the very top, but the vast majority of people, they don't benefit as much.  And you're starting to see bigger and bigger gaps in inequality and in wealth and in opportunity.

And that's true not just in the United States, it's true in Europe; it's long been true in parts of Asia; it's been true in Latin America.  And I believe that economies work best when growth and development is broad-based, when it's shared -- when ordinary people, if they work hard and they take responsibility, they can succeed.  Not everybody is going to be rich, but everybody should be able to live a good life.  Not everybody is going to be a billionaire, but everybody should be able to have a nice home and educate their children and feel some sense of security.

So that's not something that I can do by myself as President of the United States, but everything that I do -- whether it's providing more help for people to go to college, or giving early childhood education to young children because we know that the younger children get some additional schooling, especially poor children, the better off they’ll do in school for all the years to come, to the work that we're trying to do in providing health care for all Americans so that they don't experience a crisis when somebody in their family gets sick -- all of those efforts are with the objective of making sure that ordinary people, if they work hard and act responsibly, they can succeed.

And internationally, my main goal has been to work with other partners to promote a system of rules so that conflicts can be resolved peacefully, so that nations observe basic rules of behavior, so that whether you're a big country or a small country, you know that there are certain principles that are observed -- that might doesn’t just make right, but that there’s a set of ideals and there’s justice both inside countries and between countries. 

Now, that means trying to end the proliferation of nuclear weapons, which are a threat to humanity.  And we've made progress in that front, me negotiating the reduction of our nuclear stockpiles with the Russians, and trying to resolve through diplomacy the problem that Iran has been trying to pursue nuclear weapons, and working with countries like Malaysia to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

That means working to get chemical weapons out of Syria.  It means trying to promote a just peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.  It means opening up to Burma.  And I was the first President to visit there, and seeing if we could take advantage of the opportunity with Aung San Suu Kyi’s release to create a country that was a responsible part of the world order. 

Sometimes our efforts have been successful; sometimes, as I told this young man here, my efforts initially haven't been as successful and I've had to keep on trying.  And I am confident that when I'm done as President there’s still going to be parts of the world that are having war, that are having conflict, that are oppressing their own people.  So I'm not going to solve all these problems.  I've got to leave some work for all of you.  (Laughter.) 

But what I do hope is that I will have made progress on each of those fronts -- that if when I leave I can say there are a few more countries that are democracies now and the United States helped; if there are countries where I can say -- or areas of the world where I can say we avoided conflict between two countries because we helped to mediate a dispute, I'll be proud of that.  If there are countries where a spotlight has been shined internationally on the oppression of a minority group and it has forced that country to change its practices, that will be a success.

I don't consider -- I don't think I can do that by myself, of course.  I can only do that not only with the cooperation and consultation of other leaders, but it's also other citizens of the world -- all of you and people in various regions, they’ve got to want more justice and more peace in order for us to achieve it.

Sometimes the United States is viewed as, on the one hand, the cause of everybody’s problem, or on the other hand, the United States is expected to solve everybody’s problem.  And we are a big, powerful nation and we take our responsibilities very seriously, but we can only do so much.  Ultimately, the people in these countries themselves have to partner with us -- because we have problems in our own country that we have to solve.  But hopefully, I'm also lifting up certain universal principles and ideals that all of us can embrace and share.

All right, it’s a woman’s turn.  It's a young woman’s turn. I've got to -- let’s see who is back here.  No, it's a young lady’s turn.  Okay, this young lady right here -- since the microphone is right there.

Q    Good afternoon, Mr. President, and welcome to Malaysia. Gathering from what you’ve said, I think it's a shared consensus that youth worldwide can be the catalyst, planting the seeds for an early conditioning on certain global issues here.  So my question is how exactly can America lead us youth internationally in championing such issues, for example, climate change, women empowerment, poverty eradication -- the goal being to bring the human race together?  It appears that a lot of policies have been put in place, but a lot of the policies that have been put in place by the Gen Xers, the Baby Boomers.  People like us, the Gen Ys, we don't have a say in this policy, so we are supposed to champion them, but how are we supposed to do all these things?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I'm trying to figure out which generation I am.  (Laughter.)  You got Baby Boomers, then Gen X, and then there’s a Gen Y -- we're on Y?  Is that Z, are they here yet, or -- that's next? 

Well, first of all, just to be very specific, as I said in my speech, part of the reason that I like to meet with young people is to get their suggestions and their ideas.  But then what we try to do is set up a process and a network of young leaders who can share ideas with each other and with us, to let us know how they think we can empower you. 

So coming out of this meeting, there will be mechanisms through social media and in our embassies in each of the 10 ASEAN countries where we're going to be bringing together youth leaders to talk to each other about their plans, what their priorities are, how they think the United States can be most helpful.  And we're going to take your suggestions. 

And let’s take the example of something like climate change. The voice of young people on this issue is so important because you are the ones who are going to have to deal with the consequences of this most significantly.  I rode with Prime Minister Najib from our press conference to the new MaGIC Center that's been set up -- entrepreneurial center that came out of our global entrepreneur summit that was hosted here in Malaysia.  And on the ride over, it hadn’t started raining yet, but you could tell it was going to be raining soon.  And he said that here in Malaysia you’ve already seen a change in weather patterns -- it used to be that the dry season and the rainy season was very clear.  Now it all just kind of is blurring together.

Now, not all of that can be directly attributed precisely to climate change.  But when you look at what’s been happening all across the country or all around the world, there’s no doubt that weather patterns are changing.  It is getting warmer.  That is going to have impacts in terms of more flooding, more drought, displacement.  It could affect food supplies.  It could affect the incidences of diseases.  Coastal communities could be severely affected.  And what happens when humans are placed under stress is the likelihood of conflict increases. 

There is a theory that one of the things that happened in Syria to trigger the protests that resulted in the terrible, violent efforts to suppress them by President Assad was repeated drought in Syria that drove people off their land, so they could no longer afford to make the traditional living that they had made.  Now, whether that’s true or not we don’t know precisely. But what we do know is that you see in communities that are under severe weather pressure -- drought, famine, food prices increasing -- they’re more likely to be in conflict. 

And you’re going to have to deal with this, unless we do something about it.  So the question is what can we do?  Every country should be coming up with a Climate Action Plan to try to reduce its carbon emissions.  In Southeast Asia, one of the most important issues is deforestation.  In Indonesia and Malaysia, what you’ve seen is huge portions of tropical forests that actually use carbon and so reduce the effects of climate change, reduce carbon being released into the atmosphere and warming the planet -- they’re just being shredded because of primarily the palm oil industry.  And there are large business interests behind that industry.

Now, the question is are we going to in each of those countries say how can we help preserve these forests while using a different approach to economic development that does less to damage the atmosphere?  And that means engaging then with the various stakeholders.  You’ve got to talk to the businesses involved.  You’ve got to talk to the government, the communities who may be getting jobs -- because their first priority is feeding themselves, so if you just say, we’ve got to stop cutting down the forests, but you don’t have an alternative opportunity for people then they may just ignore you.  So there are going to be all kinds of pieces just to that one part of the problem.  And each country may have a different element to it. 

The point, though, is that you have to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.  You have to say, this is important.  You don’t have to be a climate science expert, but you can educate yourselves on the issue.  You can discuss it with your peer groups.  You can organize young people to interact with international organizations that are already dealing with this issue.  You can help to publicize it.  You can educate your parents, friends, coworkers.  And through that process, you can potentially change policy. 

So it may take -- it will take years.  It will not happen next week.  But our hope is that through this network that we’re going to be developing that we can be a partner with you in that process. 

So I just want to check how many -- how much time do we have here?  Who is in charge?

MS. WOO:  We’ve got time, Mr. President. 

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  How much time?

MS. WOO:  A couple more questions. 

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  A couple more questions -- all right, because I just want to make sure that I’m being fair here.  All right, it’s a guy’s turn.  Let’s see -- all right, how about this guy, because I like his hair cut, the guy with the spiky hair right there.  (Applause.)

Q    In your opinion, what are the top three advice to fellow Malaysians and government to become a developed country in six years’ time?  As this is one of country’s missions and I think it’s important for fellow Malaysians to contribute together in order to achieve that.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, I had an extensive conversation with Prime Minister Najib about his development strategy.  First of all, Malaysia is now a middle-income country.  It’s done much better than many other countries in per capita income and growth over the last two decades, and there’s been some wise leadership that has helped to promote Malaysian exports and to help to train its people. 

You’ve got high literacy rates, which is critically important.  Investing in people is the single most important thing in the knowledge economy.  Traditionally, wealth was defined by land and natural resources.  Today the most important resources is between our ears.  And Malaysia has made a good investment in young people.  So that continues to be I think the most important strategy for growth in the 21st century. 

And in the United States, my main focus is improving our education system and lifelong learning.  Because part of what’s changed in the economy -- in the 20th century, you got a change at a company, you might stay there for 30 years; things didn’t change that much.  Now you may be at one company and that company may be absorbed, and you might have to retrain for a new job because the thing that you were doing before has been made obsolete because of technology.

So we have to keep on investing in not only elementary school and secondary school and even universities.  But in the United States, for example, we have a system of community colleges and job training where somebody who’s in their 30s or even 40s or 50s can go back, get retrained, get more skills, adapt to a new industry, and then be a productive citizen.  That’s a critical investment that needs to be made.

The second thing that I know Prime Minister Najib is focused on -- and this applies throughout the region -- is if you want to move to the next level of development, then you have to open up an economy to innovation and entrepreneurship.  The initial push for growth in Southeast Asia initially started with exporting raw materials, and then shifted to manufacturing and light assembly and being part of the global supply chain.  And that’s all a very important ladder into development.  But now a lot of wealth is being created by new products and new ideas. 

And at least in the United States, for example, we don’t want to just assemble the latest smartphone, we want to invent the latest smartphone.  We want to invent the apps and the content for those smartphones.  And then we have an asset that whoever is manufacturing it, some of the value is still flowing to us.  Well, what that requires then is changes in the economy to make it more open, to make it more entrepreneurial.  Some of the old systems have to be broken down.

Now, different countries in ASEAN and different countries around the world are at different stages of development.  In some countries, the most important thing for development is just basic rule of law, and something that I said earlier, which is making sure that the law applies to everybody in the same way.  I believe if Malaysia is going to take that next leap, then it’s going to have to make sure that the economy is one where everybody has the opportunity, regardless of where they started, to succeed.  (Applause.)  And that energy has to be unleashed. And I think Prime Minister Najib understands that.

And the trade agreement that we’re trying to create, the TPP, part of what we’re trying to do is to create higher standards for labor protection, higher standards for environmental protection, more consistent protection of intellectual property -- because increasingly that’s the next phase of wealth.  All those things require more transparency and more accountability and more rule of law, and I think that it’s entirely consistent with Malaysia moving into the next phase.

Now, it’s hard to change old ways of doing things -- and that’s true for every country.  I mean, China right now, after unprecedented growth over the last 20 years, realizes it’s got to change its whole strategy.  It’s been so export-oriented, but now they’re starting to realize that if they want to continue to grow they’ve got to develop consumer markets inside their own country.

And what that means is, is that they’ve got to give workers more ability to spend on consumer goods, and that they have to have a social safety net so that workers aren’t just saving all the time, because if they get sick they don’t have any social insurance programs and they don’t have any retirement groups.  And so they’re starting to make these shifts, but these are hard shifts. 

Even in a country that’s controlled by the central party that’s not democratic.  It’s because certain people have gotten accustomed to and done very well with an export-driven strategy. So when you shift, there’s going to be somebody who resists. That’s true in every country.  It’s true in the United States.  We’ve got to change how we do things.  And when you try to change, somebody somewhere is benefiting from the status quo.  Malaysia is no different.  But I’m confident that you can make it happen.

I’ll take two more questions.  And it’s a young lady’s turn. So, guys, you can all put down your hands.  (Laughter.)  Let’s see -- this young lady with the yellow.

Q    Good morning.  I’m from Indonesia.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Apa kabar?

Q    Baik-baik saja.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Baik.

Q    Well, okay, I have a very short question.  What does happiness mean for you?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  What does happiness mean to me?

Q    Yes.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Wow, you guys -- that’s a big, philosophical question.  (Applause.)  I mentioned earlier my family, and it really is true that the older I get the more -- when I think about when I’m on my deathbed -- I mean, I don’t think about this all the time.  (Laughter.)  I don’t want you to think -- I’m still fairly young.  But when I think, at the end of my life and I’m looking back, what will have been most important to me, I think it’s the time I will have spent with the people I love.  And so that makes me happy.

But I also think that, as I get older, what’s most important to me is feeling as if I’ve been true to my beliefs and that I’ve lived with some integrity.  Now, that doesn’t always make you happy in the sense of you’re laughing or just enjoying life -- because sometimes, being true to your beliefs is uncomfortable.  Sometimes doing things that you think are right may put you in some conflict with somebody.  Sometimes people may not appreciate it and it may be inconvenient.

But I think that part of being satisfied at least with life as you get older is feeling as if you know that every day you wake up and there’s certain things you believe in -- for example, respecting other people, or showing kindness to others, or trying to promote justice, or whatever it is that you think is best in you -- that at the end of each day you can say, okay, you know what, I was consistent with what I say I’m about, what I say I believe in -- the image I have of myself. 

And when I’m uncomfortable is when I think, you know, I didn’t do my best today.  Maybe I didn’t speak out when I should have spoken out.  Maybe I didn’t work as hard on this issue as I should have worked.  Then I’m tossing and turning and I don’t feel good.

And I think that having that kind of integrity is important -- where you can look at yourself in the mirror and you can say, okay, I am who I want -- who I say I want to be.  And nobody is perfect and everybody is going to make mistakes, but I think if you feel as if you’re always striving towards your ideals, then you’ll feel okay at the end.

Okay, last question.  And it’s -- let’s see.  No, no, it’s a guy’s question.  Women, put down your hands.  (Laughter.)  Okay, I’ll call on this gentleman here because he -- there you go, with the glasses.

Q    Good evening, Mr. President Obama.  I’m from Malaysia. I’m an undergrad from University of Malaya.  So my question is, in your position right now, what values that you uphold the most that you think is very important, that makes you what you are today?  And what do you wish to bring that value to the young people of today that can change the world to become a better world?  Thank you.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, thank you.  I’m going to take another question after that, because I’ve already answered this question.  Wait, wait, wait -- let me -- (laughter) -- let me explain the -- what I think is most important is showing people respect who you disagree with, right?  (Applause.)  And so, for example, there’s a note over there -- I don’t know what those young people are putting a note about -- but I think that the basic idea that if somebody is not like you, if they look differently than you, if they believe differently than you -- that you are treating them as you want to be treated.  If you are applying those ideas, I think you’re going to be halfway there in terms of solving most of the world’s problems.

And a lot of that is around some of the traditional divisions that we have in our society -- race, ethnicity, religion, gender.  Treat people with respect, whoever they are, and expect your governments to treat everybody with respect.  (Applause.)  And if you do that, then you’re going to be okay.

All right, last question.  Young ladies -- wait, wait, wait, everybody put down their hands for a second.  Okay, now I’ve heard from -- I’ve had an Indonesian, a Malaysian, a Cambodian, Myanmar.  Thailand didn’t get called on.  So I think -- all right, Thailand.  Where -- okay.  And the Philippines -- well, see, I can’t call on everybody.  (Laughter.)  Thailand said -- they were the first ones to shout.  Go ahead, this young lady right here.

Q    Hi, President.  Very short question.  What are the things that you regret now that you have done in the past?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  What are the things that I regret?  Oh, the list is so long.  (Laughter.)  I regret calling on you, because now I’m going to be telling everybody my business.  (Laughter.)  No, I’m just joking about that.  (Laughter.) 

I’m now 52.  And I still feel pretty good.  I’m a little gray-haired.  But I will tell you two things I regret -- one is very specific, one is more general.  The specific thing is I regret not having spent more time with my mother.  Because she died early -- she got cancer right around when she was my age, actually, she was just a year older than I am now -- she died.  It happened very fast, in about six months.  And I realized that -- there was a stretch of time from when I was, let’s say, 20 until I was 30 where I was so busy with my own life that I didn’t always reach out and communicate with her and ask her how she was doing and tell her about things.  I was nice and I’d call and write once in a while.  But this goes to what I was saying earlier about what you remember in the end I think is the people you love.  I realized that I didn’t-- every single day, or at least more often, just spend time with her and find out what she was thinking and what she was doing, because she had been such an important part of my life.

Now, that’s natural as young people.  As you grow up, you become independent.  But for those of you who have not called their parents lately, I would just say that that is something, actually, that I regret. 

The more general answer is I regret wasting time.  I think when I was young I spent a lot of time on things that I realize now were not very important and I wish I had used my time more wisely.

Now, I don’t want people to spend every minute of every day working all the time, because you have to enjoy life and you have to have friends and you have to appreciate all that life has to offer.  But I do think that in America at least, but now I think worldwide, we spend an awful lot of time on diversions -- watching TV or playing video games.  And all that time, when you add it all up, I say to myself, I could have spent more time learning a foreign language, or I could have spent more time working on a project that was important.  And I think it would be useful for all of you to consider how you’re spending your time and make sure that you’re making every day count.

Let me just say this by way of thank you to all of you.  I think you’ve asked terrific questions.  I’m so impressed with all of you and what you have done and what you’ll do in the future.  I do want you to feel optimistic about your future.  Even though I told you about some problems like climate change that seem so big now, I always say -- we get White House interns to come in and they work at the White House, and they’re there for six months, and then I usually speak to them at the end of six months.  And I always tell them that despite how hard sometimes the world seems to be, and all you see on television is war and conflict and poverty and violence, the truth is that if you had to choose when to be born, not knowing where or who you would be, in all of human history, now would be the time.  Because the world is less violent, it is healthier, it is wealthier, it is more tolerant and it offers more opportunity than any time in human history for more people than any time in human history.

Now, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t still terrible things happening around the world or in this region.  We still have things like human trafficking.  And we still have terrible abuse of children.  And there are conflicts.  And so these are things that we’re going to have to tackle and deal with.  But you should know that with each successive generation things have improved just a little bit.  And over time, that little bit adds to a lot.  And it’s now up to you, the next generation, to make sure that 20 years from now, or 30 years from now, people look back and say, wow, things are a lot better now than they were back then.

And there will still be problems 20 or 30 years from now also.  But they will be different problems, because you will have solved many of the problems that exist today.  And America wants to be a partner with you in that process, so good luck. 

Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.) 

MS. WOO:  Thank you very much, Mr. President.  It’s been a wonderful opportunity and we appreciate it very much. 

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.)

END
5:15 P.M. MST

Close Transcript

Joint Press Conference with President Obama and Prime Minister Najib of Malaysia

Perdana Putra

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

1:32 P.M. MST

     PRIME MINISTER NAJIB:  A very good afternoon.  It is an honor to host you, Mr. President, and the United States delegation.  On behalf of the Malaysian people, I extend to you our warmest greeting.

     Normally, I would say selamat datang, which means “welcome” in our language.  But since you grew up not far from here, you’re one of the few leaders, world leaders, who will understand when I say selamat datang, sahabat saya. 

     Forty-eight years ago, a United States President first stepped onto Malaysian soil.  Back then, TV was black and white. The Monkees were topping the U.S. charts with “The Last Train to Clarksville.”  (Laughter.) 

     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  It’s a good song.  (Laughter.) 

     PRIME MINISTER NAJIB:  And the “Sound of Music” movie was winning Academy Awards.  Today, Mr. President, you see not rubber trees, as Lyndon B. Johnson did, but soaring skyscrapers.  They are a testament to the transformation that is taking place here in Malaysia.  And on this journey we are thankful for the United States’ hand in friendship.

     Over the past two months, the strength of our relationship has been revealed for all to see.  From the day MH370 went missing, the United States lent its considerable expertise to the investigation and its unique capabilities and assets to the search effort.  We are grateful to you for standing by Malaysia in our hour of need.

     The U.S. and Malaysia have a longstanding relationship.  We established diplomatic relations on the day of Malaysia’s independence in 1957.  In the decades that followed, when ideological tensions tore at Southeast Asia, the U.S. and Malaysia remained firm friends.  And over the past few years, we have been working to strengthen the bonds between us.  Today we see the fruits of this labor on the economy, on security and on people-to-people relations.  We are closer now than ever before.

     Earlier this morning, the President and I talked at length about the issues we face in the region and in the world, and we took significant steps towards our shared objectives.  First and foremost, we agreed to upgrade our bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Partnership.  This marks a new phase in our relationship with greater collaboration on the economy, security, education, science, technology, and more.   We also decided to reinvigorate the Senior Officials Dialogue as a key forum for high-level discussion.  Together, these agreements lay a firm foundation for further cooperation to come.

     Malaysia welcomes America’s rebalancing towards Asia and its contribution to peace, stability and prosperity in the region.  Our continents share an ocean.  We should be connected by common policy, too.  We believe all parties should share in Asia’s remarkable growth story, provided they also share a commitment to the peace upon which it depends. 

     On global security, the President and I agreed to strengthen cooperation in peacekeeping training.  Malaysia has also decided to endorse the “Statement of Interdiction Principles” of the Proliferation Security Initiative. 

     I expressed my appreciation to the President on U.S. strong support for ASEAN and the East Asia Summit, and for the confidence they have expressed in Malaysia’s chairmanship of ASEAN next year.  As we prepare for this chairmanship, and as we bid for a non-permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council, we seek a greater role in promoting global peace and regional stability.  In these endeavors and more, our friendship with the United States is immensely valued.

     Just last month, Malaysia helped secure a comprehensive agreement in the Southern Philippines, ending a conflict which claimed 150,000 lives, and denying al Qaeda and its affiliates a possible foothold in that region.  We have rejected religious extremism by establishing a Global Movement of Moderates.

     On the South China Sea, President Obama and I both stressed earlier the importance of upholding universally recognized principles of international law, including United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.  We agreed that the full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties was vital and that an effective Code of Conduct would enhance mutual trust.

     The President and I have agreed on a U.S.-Malaysia English Teaching Assistant Program, formerly known as the Fulbright Program.  I’m happy to note that we’ve agreed on the bilateral work agreement for partners of diplomats and I would like to thank President Obama for agreeing to consider Malaysia’s participation in the Visa Waiver Program.  I’m glad the U.S. is now committed to provide technical briefings, security requirements, and information-sharing agreements for this purpose.

     For centuries, our people have done business across the Pacific.  Today, we continue to do brisk trade.  Our bilateral trade has averaged at least 35 billion U.S. dollars annually from 2010 to 2013, while last year, the United States was Malaysia’s largest source of foreign investment, investing $1.9 billion in Malaysia and creating almost 8,000 jobs.

     President Obama and I welcome the progress made on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement negotiations.  Trade deals are always complex, but our countries are committed to resolving the remaining issues.  I know all sides share our desire for an agreement that delivers the best for our citizens and our businesses.  I would like to thank President Obama for his understanding of Malaysia’s challenges and sensitivities in the TPP negotiations.

     Malaysia has always been a bridge between peoples and cultures, a trading nation bound by vital seas.  We are a modern progressive Muslim majority nation, a multiethnic, multi-religious society.  We have long known the benefit of cooperation across borders, and we have long recognized the power of shared prosperity.  In this context, it gives us sincere pleasure to welcome the U.S. delegation for this historic visit.  Your presence here, Mr. President, will mark the beginning of the next phase of our partnership, with deeper friendship and a more comprehensive partnership.

     Over the past few days, we have found common cause on issues that matter -- those that would deliver opportunity for our people and security for our region.  And we have set the stage for a new phase of our relationship, one based on greater cooperation needed to equal the challenges of our time.

     Thank you.

     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Selamat tengah hari.  Thank you, Prime Minister Najib, for your warm welcome.  I am very pleased to be the first U.S. President to visit Malaysia in almost 50 years.  And it is wonderful to be staying in Kuala Lumpur -- one of Asia’s most dynamic cities.

     I want to thank Their Majesties, the King and the Queen, for their incredible hospitality at last night’s state dinner, and the wonderful display of Malaysian culture in all its beauty and diversity.  And I want to thank the people of Malaysia for such a warm welcome.

     Today the United States is once again playing a leadership role in the Asia Pacific.  And a key part of our strategy is expanding our ties with Southeast Asia -- and that includes Malaysia.  By virtue of geography, Malaysia is central to regional stability, maritime security and freedom of navigation. By virtue of its economic progress -- that’s evident for all who visit here for the first time -- and by virtue of Prime Minister Najib’s goal of making the economy even more competitive, Malaysia has the potential to unleash a new era of growth.  And by virtue of its diversity -- people from so many ethnic groups and backgrounds, holding different political beliefs and practicing different faiths, Malaysia has the opportunity to draw on the enormous strengths of its people. 

     In the United States embracing that diversity and upholding the rights and dignity of all our citizens has always made us stronger, and I believe it can make Malaysia even stronger as well. 

     I welcomed Prime Minister Najib to Washington four years ago, and we agreed at that time to broaden and deepen the relationship between our countries.  Today, across a whole range of areas -- security, trade, regional institutions -- we’re working more closely together than ever before.  And today, I’m pleased that we’re formalizing our efforts in a new Comprehensive Partnership.  

     I’d note that we’ve also seen our cooperation during the response to the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370.  And I want to again express the deepest condolences of the American people to all the families who lost loved ones on that flight -- Malaysian, American, Chinese and people from many other nations. 

     As we have since the beginning of this tragedy, we’re working closely with our Malaysian partners and we will continue to provide all the assistance we can in their search and the investigation.  And today, the Prime Minister and I discussed some of the lessons that are being learned from this tragedy and how nations, including our own, might continue to improve our cooperation moving forward.   

     The Comprehensive Partnership we’re launching today aims to deepen our economic ties.  As the Prime Minister noted, Malaysia and the United States are already close economic partners, and we’re working together on the Trans-Pacific Partnership to open up Asia Pacific markets, boost exports, promote innovation and growth in both our nations.  The TPP will support good jobs in the United States and Malaysia, and it will help Malaysia meet its goal to become a high-income economy by the end of the decade. 

     Today, the Prime Minister and I discussed the particular issues of importance to Malaysia and we agreed to work quickly to resolve those issues, consistent with a final high-standards, comprehensive TPP agreement.  And tomorrow we’ll have the opportunity to join some of our business leaders as they sign three commercial agreements worth more than $1 billion of new trade and investment between our nations. 

     Our Comprehensive Partnership will expand our security cooperation.  As a founding member of ASEAN and the East Asia Summit, Malaysia has already been a critical leader in building the institutions that can advance regional prosperity and security.  Strengthening ASEAN unity and its central role in the region is a key part of our own American engagement in Asia.  We very much agree with ASEAN’s view and Malaysia’s view that disputes need to be resolved peacefully, without intimidation or coercion, and that all nations must abide by international rules and international norms. 

     We welcome Malaysia’s recent endorsement of the principles of the Proliferation Security Initiative, the global effort to prevent the tracking [trafficking] of weapons of mass destruction. We’re aiming to step up our coordination on a range of challenges, from disaster relief to maritime security.  And we are looking forward to working closely with Malaysia on all these issues when it chairs both ASEAN and the EAS next year.   

     And finally, our Comprehensive Partnership will continue to strengthen the strong ties between our peoples, especially our young people.  The young women and men of Malaysia are brimming with potential, and we want to do more together to open the door of opportunity to everybody, regardless of race, religion, gender or language.  That’s why the Prime Minister and I will be meeting with entrepreneurs from Malaysia, and why I’ll be engaging with promising young leaders from across South[east] Asia later this afternoon.  And thanks to the tremendous success of our program to bring young Americans to Malaysia to teach English, the Prime Minister and I agreed to renew that program for several more years. 

    The time that I spent in this region as a child helped to shape my understanding of the world, broadened my vision, left me with a lifelong affection for the people and traditions of Southeast Asia.  And I look forward to a new generation of Americans getting that same experience here in Malaysia. 

     So, Prime Minister Najib, thank you again for your partnership, for your vision for what our nations can accomplish together, not only for our two peoples, but for the peace and prosperity of this entire region.  Terima kasih banyak.  (Applause.)

     Q    Good afternoon, and selamat datang to Mr. President. 

     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you.

      Q    I have a question on the issue of Proliferation Security Initiative.  This PSI, this is something new for Malaysia.  Are we going to be the 103rd member of PSI?  And what is the SOP like?  And do we have the expertise?

     And for Mr. President, is the U.S. going to assist us in capacity-building and other requirements?  Thank you.

     PRIME MINISTER NAJIB:  Well, this PSI is actually not new in substance because we’ve been working very closely with the United States and whenever there is a request for us to do some interdiction we’ve never failed to respond.  What we’re doing today is to formalize it so that there will be a formal relationship.  And that relationship will just continue what we have done, and it also reflects a strong will and desire on Malaysia’s side to cooperate not only with the United States, with the international community, to stop the profilation -- proliferation -- sorry --  

     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  It’s a hard one.  I always screw it up.  (Laughter.)

     PRIME MINISTER NAJIB:  -- for the spread -- (laughter) -- of parts for nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction.  I’ll get it right, don’t worry.  (Laughter.)

     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, as the Prime Minister said, this is an area where we’ve already developed strong partnership.  And I want to commend Prime Minister Najib and his national security team and law enforcement, intelligence teams.  I think it’s fair to say that when both of us came into office this wasn’t at the top of the priority list.  And what we were seeing, though, was that this region was a potential area where traffickers in parts and systems that could lead to nuclear proliferation or weapons of mass destruction could operate. 

    And so, in our conversations, in our teams’ consultations, we began to tighten the links and bonds between us in terms of sharing information, identifying threats, and working more closely and cooperatively together.  And we’ve done that. 

     What the PSI does, as the Prime Minister says, is formalize it.  It puts a framework around it.  It involves capacity-building, but it’s not just a one-way street.  Obviously, we have been working on these issues for a long time.  I consider the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction as one of the greatest threats to U.S. security, as well as international peace.  So we have developed a lot of capacities in this area.

     But this is a partnership, and what we seek to do is to find ways in which the strengths and the information that each side has can be enhanced and combined and pooled so that we don’t have the possibility of loose nuclear materials or certain component parts that are being shipped falling into the wrong hands.  And we very much appreciate the cooperation that’s already there, but I think what the PSI signifies is that we can do even better in the future.

     Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  And, Mr. Prime Minister, selamat tengah hari. 

     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  There you go.  Good job there, Chuck.

     Q    Mr. President, on the situation in Ukraine and the Russian sanctions that I know the United States and others may be announcing on Monday -- I guess my question is why wait on sectoral sanctions, as far as the United States is concerned?  Why not do that on your own, now and sooner, rather than wait for the Europeans to get on board on this?  Because aren’t you concerned that Putin is essentially using the European angst over tougher sanctions as a way to slow-walk things and buy more time and space for himself?

      Quickly, on a second topic, Mr. President, there’s a controversy surrounding some horrendous, racially-charged comments that an owner of the L.A. Clippers made.  I was wondering if you care to comment on that. 

     And to the Prime Minister, the TPP -- I know you talked about it -- it’s been generating some protests here in your country, including another one today -- chief concern being some worries, some higher costs of medical supplies in particular.  I was wondering if you can comment on those protests and the concern that somehow you’re being bullied into the TPP by the United States.  Do you feel that way on that front?  Thank you.

     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Okay, first, on Ukraine, in consultation with our European partners we’ve determined that because Russia has failed to follow through on its side of the accord that had been hammered out in Geneva, it was important for us to take further steps, sending a message to Russia that the kind of destabilizing activities that are taking place in the east and the south of Ukraine had to stop. 

     There was a glimmer of hope after the Geneva accords that Ukraine would follow through on its commitments to enter into a dialogue around constitutional reforms, that it would do everything it needed to do to disarm irregular forces and militias, and it would offer amnesty to those who willingly laid down arms and pulled out of the buildings.  They’ve been doing that.  Russia has not lifted a finger to help.  In fact, there’s strong evidence that they have been encouraging the kinds of activities that have been taking place in eastern and southern Ukraine. 

     And so, collectively, us and the Europeans have said that so long as Russia continues down a path of provocation rather than trying to resolve this issue peacefully and deescalating, there are going to be consequences and those consequences will continue to grow. 

     Now, the notion that for us to go forward with sectoral sanctions on our own without the Europeans would be the most effective deterrent to Mr. Putin I think is factually wrong.  We’re going to be in a stronger position to deter Mr. Putin when he sees that the world is unified and the United States and Europe is unified, rather than this is just a U.S.-Russian conflict. 

     And, in fact, you notice that oftentimes they’re really interested in portraying this through this old Cold War prism, when, in fact, that’s not what the issue is here.  The issue is respecting basic international norms of sovereignty and territorial integrity.  The issue is can the Ukrainians make their own decisions about how they govern themselves and who they have international relations with.  That’s our only interest in this whole process. 

     And so it’s important for us to make sure that we are part of an international coalition sending that message and that Russia is isolated in its actions, rather than falling into the trap of interpreting this as the United States is trying to pull Ukraine out of Russia’s orbit, circa 1950.  Because that’s not what this is about.  And the Europeans have a larger stake in this than anyone.

     Now, as I said I think at the last press conference, there are going to be differences even within Europe, in part because of the nature of the economic relationships that they’ve got.  And we’ve got to work through those in a systematic way.  If, in fact, we need to move forward with sectoral sanctions, then it’s going to be important that we know exactly what we’re prepared to do and sustain over the long haul; our European partners know what they’re willing and able to do as well.  And the more we are unified, the more effective it’s going to be.

     If we, for example, say we’re not going to allow certain arms sales to Russia -- just to take an example -- but every European defense contractor backfills what we do, then it’s not very effective.  It’s going to be more effective if everybody signs on and everybody is committed.

     Q    But why only have --

     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I didn’t say “only,” “never,” “when.”  I said this is our strategy.  And I want to emphasize every time I address this question there is a diplomatic path to resolving this issue.  The Geneva statement pointed towards how we could resolve this statement.  What it asks of the Russians is hardly onerous:  Make a public statement that those militias need to lay down their arms and exit those buildings; participate with international observers and monitors, rather than stand by while they’re being bullied and, in some cases, detained by these thugs; negotiate with the Ukrainian government and engage in some confidence-building measures.  These aren’t heavy lifts if the Russians are sincere in wanting to resolve this problem.  So far we haven’t seen that, but we’re going to keep on raising the consequences of Russia rejecting that path towards diplomacy.

     With respect to the statements by the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers -- for our Malaysian audience, this is a sports team, basketball team in the United States.  The owner is reported to have said some incredibly offensive racist statements that were published.  I don’t think I have to interpret those statements for you; they kind of speak for themselves.  When people -- when ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance you don’t really have to do anything, you just let them talk.  And that’s what happened here.

     I am confident that the NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver, a good man, will address this.  Obviously, the NBA is a league that is beloved by fans all across the country.  It’s got an awful lot of African American players.  It’s steeped in African American culture.  And I suspect that the NBA is going to be deeply concerned in resolving this.

     I will make just one larger comment about this.  The United States continues to wrestle with a legacy of race and slavery and segregation that’s still there -- the vestiges of discrimination. We’ve made enormous strides, but you’re going to continue to see this percolate up every so often.  And I think that we just have to be clear and steady in denouncing it, teaching our children differently, but also remaining hopeful that part of why some statements like this stand out so much is because there had been -- there has been this shift in how we view ourselves.

     And like Malaysia, we constantly have to be on guard against racial attitudes that divide us rather than embracing our diversity as a strength.  And I know that the people of Malaysia are committed to wrestling with those issues as well.  We have to make sure that we stay on top of it -- and we will.

      Even though it wasn’t directed at me, I am going to say one thing about TPP -- this notion somehow that some protests here might indicate U.S. bullying.  Keep in mind, I’ve got protests back home from my own party about TPP.  So there’s never been a trade deal in which somebody is not going to at some point object because they’re fearful of the future or they’re invested in the status quo.  And I think it’s just very important for everybody to wait and see what exactly is the agreement that has been negotiated before folks jump to conclusions. 

     If you take an issue like drugs, for example, the United States does extraordinary work in research and development, and providing medical breakthroughs that save a lot of lives around the world.  Those companies that make those investments in that research oftentimes want a return, and so there are all kinds of issues around intellectual property and patents, and so forth.

      At the same time, I think we would all agree that if there’s a medicine that can save a lot of lives, then we’ve got to find a way to make sure that it’s available to folks who simply can’t afford it as part of our common humanity.  And both those values are reflected in the conversations and negotiations that are taking place around TPP.  So the assumption somehow that right off the bat that’s not something we’re paying attention to, that reflects lack of knowledge of what is going on in the negotiations.

     But my point is you shouldn’t be surprised if there are going to be objections, protests, rumors, conspiracy theories, political aggravation around a trade deal.  You’ve been around long enough, Chuck -- that’s true in Malaysia; it’s true in Tokyo; it’s true in Seoul; it’s true in the United States of America -- and it’s true in the Democratic Party. 

     So I continue to strongly believe, however, that this is going to be the right thing to do -- creating jobs, creating businesses, expanding opportunity for the United States.  And it’s going to be good for countries like Malaysia that have been growing rapidly but are interested in making that next leap to the higher-value aspects of the supply chain that can really boost income growth and development.

     PRIME MINISTER NAJIB:  I’d just like to echo what President Obama said.  Emphatically, in no uncertain terms, we went to the TPP on our own accord.  We were not bullied into it.  And I can attest to our commitment towards free trade as the principle and philosophy, because we have entered into 13 separate FTA agreements with other countries. 

     So Malaysia is a great believer in free trade.  But we also understand that the benefits of free trade like boosting trade, creating wealth, jobs -- those are the good things.  But there will be some losers in the process -- there will be winners and losers.  But overall, the benefit, I think -- it's important for us to show to the people in Malaysia that the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages of a free trade agreement. 

And this is what, in a final analysis, what we have to do, because the underpinnings of a free trade agreement would be acceptance by the people.  And we are committed to that process. We’ll engage with the public and we’ll also present it to parliament. 

     So we are working out around the sensitivities and challenges, which I alluded to in my discussions with President Obama.  He fully understands our domestic sensitivities, and we will sit down and try to iron this out with the intention of trying to work out a deal in the near future. 

     Q    Mr. President, selamat datang.  Mr. President, how do you see Malaysia efforts and ability in getting multinational support and efforts for the missing MH370 search-and-rescue operation?  And, Mr. President, I'd appreciate if you can elaborate on the visa waiver request.

     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, I know personally, because I’ve been in consultation with my team and all the assets that we have available, that the Malaysian government is working tirelessly to recover the aircraft and investigate exactly what happened.  And I can’t speak for all the countries in the region, but I can say that the United States and other partners have found the Malaysian government eager for assistance, have been fully forthcoming with us in terms of the information that they have.  And this is a joint effort.  It’s not easy. 

     Obviously, we don’t know all the details of what happened, but we do know that if, in fact, the plane went down in the ocean in this part of the world, that is a big, big place and it is a very challenging effort and laborious effort that’s going to take quite some time. 

     I completely understand the heartache that the families are going through and wanting answers.  And I think it’s very important -- and I said to Prime Minister Najib -- that there should be full transparency in terms of what we know, what we don’t know, how the process is proceeding.  But I can tell you that the United States is absolutely committed to providing whatever resources and assets that we can and that the Malaysian government has been very welcoming of that assistance. 

     On the Visa Waiver Program, the way it works in the United States, we’ve got a very clear set of laws and provisions in terms of how someone -- how a country qualifies to be part of the Visa Waiver Program.  And the Prime Minister raised this issue with me, and my team is prepared to work with the Malaysian government to go through the various steps.  Typically, it takes some time, it’s not something that happens overnight, because we have to make sure that the kinds of information-sharing, the reporting about lost and stolen passports, terrorist watch lists -- that all those pieces are in place before it’s facilitated. 

     But given the growing and expanding trade that exists and the people-to-people relations between Malaysia and the United States, I want to make sure that we can start down a path.  It may take a little bit of time, but we welcome the opportunity to engage with the government on this issue.

     Q    Prime Minister Najib, good afternoon.  Thank you for your hospitality, sir. 

     Mr. President, you said at your press conference in Seoul you expressed some frustration with the narrative that military force is the best response to difficult foreign policy challenges.  I invite you to expand on that if you want to.  But I’m more curious about what you said right after that -- there are many tools in the American toolbox to advance foreign policy interests. 

     As you know, one of those tools is for America to use her prestige to speak out on behalf of human rights, racial tolerance, political accountability and free speech.  As you well know, Mr. President, those issues are up for grabs in Malaysia right now, and they’re probably best symbolized by the precarious legal position of Anwar Ibrahim, the opposition political leader in this country.  Former Vice President Al Gore has taken up his cause, as has Human Rights Watch and other international lawyers interested in human rights.  Can you explain, sir, why you have said nothing about these issues here in Malaysia, why you will not meet with Mr. Ibrahim, and how it’s possible for the United States government to advance these interests of political reform when it won’t use the non-military tools in the toolbox you described in Seoul?

     And, Mr. Prime Minister, have you made any commitments to the United States government about your efforts in the future to address the issue of political reform here in Malaysia?  Thank you.

     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, first of all, Major, I think it’s important to note that there is not a meeting I have around the world where issues of freedom of the press, human rights, civil liberties aren’t prominent on the agenda.  And that includes my meeting with Prime Minister Najib.  And I think when you say that issues are all “up for grabs” in Malaysia, I think that implies a judgment about what’s happening here in Malaysia that may not fully reflect the progress that’s been made by Prime Minister Najib, but also the recognition I think by the Malaysian government that there’s more work that needs to be done.

     The fact that I haven’t met with Mr. Anwar in and of itself is not indicative of our lack of concern, given the fact that there are a lot of people I don’t meet with and opposition leaders that I don’t meet with and that doesn’t mean that I’m not concerned about them. 

     But what I have shared with the Prime Minister is the core belief that societies that respect rule of law, that respect freedom of speech, that respect the right of opposition to oppose even when it drives you crazy, even when it’s inconvenient, the  respect for freedom of assembly, the respect for people of different races and different faiths and different political philosophies -- that those values are at the core of who the U.S. is, but also I think are a pretty good gauge of whether a society is going to be successful in the 21st century or not.

     And I think the Prime Minister is the first to acknowledge that Malaysia has still got some work to do -- just like the United States, by the way, has some work to do on these issues.  Human Rights Watch probably has a list of things they think we should be doing as a government.  And I am going to be constantly committed to making sure that these issues get raised in a constructive way.  And Prime Minister Najib came in as a reformer and one who is committed to it, and I’m going to continue to encourage him as a friend and a partner to make sure that we’re making progress on that front. 

     PRIME MINISTER NAJIB:  President Obama and I are both equally concerned about civil liberties as a principle.  And as you know, when I came into office in 2009, I introduced a slew of reforms, which include a very major undertaking on our part, which is to abolish the detention without trial, ISA.  Now, other countries have not done so, but Malaysia has taken the lead in doing so.  We’ve also introduced the Peaceful Assembly Act -- the right to protest, the right to assemble.

     And within this spirit, it would be fair to say that this is the largest or the biggest reform in terms of civil liberties in Malaysia’s history.  So in that, I think you should not underestimate or diminish whatever we have done. 

     Specifically on Anwar’s case, it’s not -- I want to put it on record, it’s not about the government against him.  It’s an action taken by an individual who happens to be his former employee who’s taken up this case against him -- a complainant.  And under the eyes of the law, even if you’re a small man or a big man, you have equal justice.  I think you believe in that principle. 

     So now the matter is before the courts.  It’s not right for me to comment anything more than that.  But be assured that Malaysia is committed to the rule of law, to the independence of a judiciary and to civil liberties.  As the President said, there’s more work to be done.  But it also means society has got to be prepared for it, for change, because what is important is the end result.  And the end result, as the Prime Minister, of this country, I’m committed to ensure peace, stability and harmony.  That is the most important thing.  And people must respect that, because there are sensitivities on either side, sensitivities relating to minorities and majority as well.

     So we have to manage that, and that’s exactly what Malaysia has done.  And because of that, we are a relatively peaceful, harmonious nation.  Thank you.

     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you very much.  Terima Kasih. 

                        END                2:16 P.M. MST      

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