KUANTAN: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah has reaffirmed that Wisma Putra will not make any announcements regarding the names of applicants under consideration to serve as Malaysia’s envoys overseas.
“Wisma Putra will only mention the names after the individuals have received the instruments of appointment from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and as long as there is none, we will not divulge the names,” he told a press conference after officiating the 3X3 Beach Basketball Competition in Beserah here today.
When asked to comment on a recent media storey claiming that Pasir Salak MP Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman and Padang Rengas MP Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz would be appointed as Malaysian diplomats, Saifuddin said this.
Previously, Saifuddin, who is also an Indera Mahkota MP, recommended all parties not to concentrate on the matter of appointments since it would harm the country’s relations with foreign countries.
In another development, Saifuddin stated that Malaysia’s suggestion for Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn to serve as the ASEAN Chair’s Special Envoy to Myanmar during his March visit was favourably accepted.
He stated that the meeting with the intended parties was to ensure that the desired message was sent to all parties involved, since all stakeholders had different roles in Myanmar.
“He (Prak Sokhonn) did not reply officially, but I can sense that the proposal was we ll-received because, as a Foreign Minister with vast experience, he will certainly try his best to meet everyone,” Saifuddin said.
At the recent ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Saifuddin proposed that the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar meet with the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC), a dialogue and policy coordination platform comprised of the National Unity Government (NUG), elected Parliamentarians, political parties, interim state representative groups, civil society and non-violent protest groups, and armed groups.
Saifuddin also suggested that the Special Envoy check at the outcome of this year’s Myanmar People’s Assembly meeting, which will be held on January 27-29.
