Nancy Reagan Visits Malaysia, Avoids Death-Row Controversy

Nancy Reagan became the first wife of an American president to visit Malaysia, beginning her 24-hour stay Friday by attending a tea and fashion show with the Queen, Raja Permaisuri Agong.

Although the main purpose of the First Lady’s four-stop tour through the Far East is to draw attention to the problem of drug abuse among the young, she said her appearance here is not meant to be interpreted as an endorsement of Malaysia’s rather harsh penalty for drug trafficking: death by hanging.

“I’m not endorsing anything,” Mrs. Reagan told about 20 members of the American press corps traveling with her.

Among the convicted drug traffickers on Malaysia’s Death Row are two Australians whom the Canberra government has been trying to get released. But Nancy Reagan is not involving herself in that or any other political situation during this trip, which takes her to Thailand today.

“All I’m trying to do,” Mrs. Reagan said, “is to get people more knowledgeable about drugs, more informed about drugs, more involved.”

There has been some speculation that the decision by Thailand’s Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda to dissolve Parliament, after that body failed to ratify a new budget, might lead to a government crisis that would force the First Lady to change her schedule, but she said that situation would cause no change of plans.

“That doesn’t have anything to do with me,” she said. “My program is mother-to-mother. It has nothing to do with politics or government or anything else.”

Tight Security

Security in Kuala Lumpur seemed to be to be especially tight for the First Lady’s visit, with a helicopter hovering over her motorcade. Traffic was stopped and backed up for miles to let her motorcade whisk by.

The First Lady’s first stop here was at the stunning hilltop National Palace, the Istana Negara, the official residence of the king and queen.

Mrs. Reagan saw colorful Malaysian dancing and had tea with the queen and about 30 government and diplomatic wives while watching a fashion show of native batik design floor-length costumes.

In a room decorated with pictures of Malaysian sultans and smelling of a dozen perfumes, Mrs. Reagan received gifts from the queen and Dr. Siti Hasmah, wife of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed.

Gifts Exchanged

Dr. Siti gave Mrs. Reagan a traditional Malay silk batik dress and the queen gave her a Malaysian hand-crafted gold belt.

Mrs. Reagan gave the queen two sterling silver Tiffany Audubon spoons with the presidential seal in gold leaf on the top. Dr. Siti received a Williamsburg floral box from Mrs. Reagan.

Later in the evening, Mrs. Reagan attended a dinner in her honor given by the prime minister at his official residence, the Sri Perdana.

Nancy Reagan’s Malaysian visit came about because Dr. Siti, a physician, had attended Mrs. Reagan’s First Ladies Conference on Drug Abuse last year in Washington. At the conference, Dr. Siti, who was the first Malay woman to become the acting medical superintendent of the General Hospital in Alor Star, invited Mrs. Reagan to visit her country.

Warm Toasts

At the dinner, attended by 75 people, the two women toasted each other warmly. Dr. Siti said of Mrs. Reagan, “Your visit to Malaysia is an encouragement to mothers and parents here,” and Mrs. Reagan said, “I am so proud of the wonderful progress Malaysia has made and Dr. Siti Hasmah’s outstanding leadership in this fight.”

Before leaving for Bangkok today, Mrs. Reagan will visit a Kuala Lumpur school and have a working lunch with Dr. Siti.