Malaysian politicians and NGO activists who have been pleading with American President George W Bush to pressurise Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on certain domestic issues have very little understanding of how the superpower exploits such concerns to achieve its own nefarious foreign policy goals.

The US government is not really bothered whether jailed former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim is allowed to go overseas for medical treatment or not, or whether Kumpulan Militan Malaysia (KMM) ISA detainees are put on trial or not.

But Washington will not hesitate to use these issues in bilateral discussions to arm twist the Malaysian government into submitting to certain plans it has for enhancing its global hegemony. As far as Malaysia is concerned, two items are at the head of Washington's hegemonic agenda.

First, there is Iraq. Specifically, the Bush administration wants the Malaysian government to commit our troops to military operations in Iraq. If Malaysia accedes to the superpower's request, it would be a tremendous boost to the camouflaged American occupation of Iraq.

This is because Malaysia is not only a respected Muslim majority nation but also the current chair of both the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Non Aligned Movement (NAM).

Even if it is only a token Malaysian military presence, Washington would have achieved its aim.

In its own way, the Malaysian government has been trying to ward off the immense pressure from the US and its allies to send troops to Iraq. As a sop to Washington, both the prime minister and the deputy prime minister have held out the promise of Malaysia providing humanitarian assistance once the security situation in Iraq stabilises.

The prime minister has even urged Iraq's neighbours to give her military support while arguing at the same time that it would be difficult for Malaysia to make a troop commitment given the prohibitive cost factor.

No sane or sensible Malaysian would want Malaysian troops to be part of the so-called US led coalition forces in Iraq. Apart from exposing our soldiers to suicide attacks, beheadings and kidnapings, any troop deployment will be such an unpopular decision with the people that it will destroy totally the Government's credibility.

For Malaysians know - as the whole world knows - that it is the presence of the coalition forces which have heightened the anger of the ordinary Iraqis. Simply put, the 160,000 American, British and other nationality troops continue to be perceived by the masses as invaders and occupiers.

In fact, a survey conducted last week revealed that the majority of Iraqis want foreign troops to leave their country. To send Malaysian troops to legitimise the foreign military presence would be to go against the wishes of the Iraqi people.

The other item on Washington's hegemonic agenda is related to Southeast Asia, strategically, one of the world's most important regions. Using the war on terror as the rationale, the Bush administration has in the last three years sought to strengthen its military grip over Southeast Asia.

The recent proposal by that administration to allow US marines to patrol the Straits of Malacca in the name of fighting terrorism was undoubtedly motivated by a desire to expand the superpower's hegemony. Malaysia has resisted the move but pressure continues to be applied.

At a time like this when pressures upon the sovereignty and independence of nation states are intensifying, it is not judicious for Malaysian politicians and NGO activists to urge the superpower to lean heavily upon the national leadership.

They should realise that the stakes are high in the global political game. If anything, Malaysian citizens should encourage Abdullah to stand firm on Iraq and the Straits of Malacca and other similar issues. To be pragmatic and yet principled.

The writer is the president of the International Movement for a Just World (Just).