U.S. President Barack Obama always knew his Asia tour later this month would be fraught with political land mines. The two nations that lead off his itinerary — U.S. allies Japan and South Korea — have been squabbling for more than a year over World War II history.

Another, the Philippines, is one of Asia's economic bright spots even as President Benigno Aquino's government is locked into a dangerous maritime territorial spat with China — a country Obama would rather not antagonize.

But most problematic of all may be Obama's time in Malaysia. Obama's visit — the first by a U.S. leader to Kuala Lumpur in 50 years — was meant to celebrate a nation viewed as a high-tech hub of moderate Islam and a democratic contrast to China. Six months ago, Obama hailed Malaysia as "an example of a dynamic economy" and touted its multiethnic society as a model to others. Today, amid the global outcry over the loss of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, such praise sounds naive. The past month has highlighted Malaysia's deepest flaws, and all-too-few of its strengths.