It was also a clear message to Anwar's good friend Senator Xenophon that his intention to play an 'observer role' in the 13th general election is not recognised by anybody.
Australia appears to have thrown cold water on an attempt by opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to get Canberra to interfere in the election process.So, to whom should Anwar and Pakatan Rakyat turn to?
In response to Mr Anwar's query on why Australia had not dispatched observers for the May 5 polls, Foreign Minister Senator Bob Carr said Australia could not be a self-appointed overseas election authority for Malaysia, according to Bernama news agency.
He was quoted by the Australian Associated Press (AAP) that there was no way "we could put ourselves in a position where we are shaping election-day practices, voting practices, in any other country".
Driving home the point that Australia was not in a position to do that, he said: "It's not Australian practice to send, unbidden, observers into a foreign jurisdiction."
The AAP report further quoted the Australian minister as saying: "We can't be a sort of court of disputed returns, or election authority, election commission for another country."