US President Barack Obama has scrapped a visit to Malaysia due to the US government shutdown

US President Barack Obama has scrapped a visit to Malaysia due to the US government shutdown, Prime Minister Najib Razak said Wednesday.
  
The US president was to attend back-to-back summits of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) bloc on the Indonesian island of Bali on October 7-8, and an East Asia summit in Brunei on October 9-10. But he will now be replaced by US Secretary of State John Kerry, Najib's office said.
 
It was not immediately clear whether the budget crisis in Washington would cause the US president to also skip the long-planned annual summit meetings.
  
During those gatherings, Obama is expected to push for final agreement on an Asia-Pacific trade agreement while underscoring his administration's much-touted renewed economic and security focus on Asia.
 
A spokeswoman in Najib's office confirmed Malaysian media reports that quoted the premier announcing Obama's visit was off.

The White House has not yet announced any changes to Obama's travel plans.
  
White House spokesman Jay Carney on Tuesday indicated Obama remained intent on pressing ahead with the summit appearances. "He does believe that it is part of his job as Commander-in-Chief and President to travel to Asia and elsewhere to help create more economic opportunity for the American people, and also to create more national security opportunity for the United States," Carney told reporters.