Former envoy to Uzbekistan and G25 member dies

G25 founder member Datuk Redzuan Kushairi says the group wants meaningful, constructive dialogue--not confrontation. CREDIT: YAP CHEE HONG

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Red­zuan Kushairi (pic), a former Ma­lay­sian ambassador to Uzbek­is­tan and a member of the G25 group of influential Malays, has died at 69.

Redzuan breathed his last at 12.45pm yesterday at the National Heart Institute, where he was admit­ted after suffering a heart attack on Wednesday, said pioneer G25 member Datuk Noor Farida Ariffin.

“It is a great loss for me personally. He was my colleague in Wisma Putra as a fellow ambassador and a highly intelligent and effective person.

“Before the heart attack, he was busy preparing for his symposium in Yemen to get public attention on the suffering of the people there due to the civil war,” Noor Farida said.

Redzuan leaves behind a wife and two children.

The G25 website states that Red­zuan is also the Dato Shah Bandar and a member of the Perak Royal Council.

His remains were taken to the Saidina Umar Al-Khattab Mosque in Bukit Damansara and later to the Bukit Kiara Muslim Cemetery for burial.

Redzuan studied Interna­tional Relations and History from Uni­versiti Malaya before continuing his studies at the Moscow State University in Russia.

He had served as the deputy permanent representative at the Malaysian Mission to the United Nations, the deputy high commissioner to the United Kingdom as well as the first secretary/head of chancery in Wash­ing­ton DC, the United States, and the second secretary in Moscow.

He served as the Malaysian ambassador to Uzbekistan for from 1994-1996. — Bernama