US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Tuesday that Muslim-majority Malaysia can be a global “thought leader”, praising the multicultural nation’s efforts to avoid religious rifts.
On a visit to cultivate ties with the moderate country, Clinton told an Islamic university forum in Kuala Lumpur that Malaysia can be influential among both the world’s Muslims and the broader international community.
“Malaysia, both by geography, (its) dynamism, the role that Islam plays, which is a role that is not divisive as it is in some parts of the world, has a real opportunity to be a thought leader in a number of significant areas,” she said.
She lauded Malaysia’s “creative approach” to Islamic finance and noted the presence of civil society group “Sisters in Islam“, which she said promotes the role of women within Islamic traditions.