The reason is he is learning from George W Bush!
In November 2006, President George W Bush is about to visit several Asian countries including Indonesia and Singapore.
Bush: Well Condi, is there anything you need from Singapore that I can pick up for you while I am there next month?
Rice: That's very kind of you, Mr President, but no, there's really nothing I need right now from there. But Laura will certainly enjoy the shopping there, sir.
Bush: Ah yes, she's been talking about it. Lee's wife has promised to take her shopping at the newly opened Vivocity.
Rice: I'm sure she'll enjoy a trip to Sentosa too. Especially now, that the haze from Indonesia has more or less lifted. Talking of which, you're going to Indonesia too, aren't you sir?
Bush: Yes I am, and while I'm with the Indonesian President, Laura will visit Acheh and give away a cheque to the tsunami victims.
Rice: How sweet. Would you be dropping by Malai Shia, sir?
Bush: Naw, giving them a miss.
Rice: Don't blame you sir, they have some rough motor cyclists there. Call themselves "Mad Ram Piss" or something. They think they're the Asian equivalent of our Knievel. They would certainly scare Laura to death.
Bush: Nah, Laura is made of sterner stuff. But that's not the reason why we're not going to Malai Shia, Condi.
Rice: Oh. Then it must be their traffic jams. They even have monorails that run off the tracks and dangle in mid-air. And highway pillars that crack.
Bush: Really? Incompetent, that's all I can say. But no, that's not the reason why we're skipping Malai Shia either.
Rice: Oh I know. You don't want to distract the Prime Minister right now, do you? Heard he's getting some shitty stuff from his predecessor telling him off like a kid.
Bush: If Clinton did that to me, I'd personally throw him off an F-16. But no, that's also not the reason why we're skipping Malai Shia.
Rice: Must be the floods then, sir? It's the monsoon season now and it floods bad after just two hours of rain. Landslides too; bring down houses but then people there build 4-storey bungalows without approval.
Bush: Naw, the rain wouldn't bother us. That's also not the reason for not going there.
Rice: I give up. Why are you visiting Indonesia and Singapore, and yet not go to Malai Shia, Mr President?
Bush: The reason, Dr Rice, is that I don't want their Religious Department people banging on our hotel room door in the middle of the night, demanding to see our marriage certificate. Now THAT would scare the hell out of Laura !
(My Comment: This is of course meant to be a joke. Mr Obama is traveling without his wife Michelle LaVaughn anyway this time around, lol!)