In a spot over envoy nominee

IN January, this column addressed the question of choosing the right candidate to be Malaysia’s representative as an ambassador to another country (“Getting the right candidate”, Sunday Star, Jan 16; online at bit.ly/star_candidate).

Since another government was formed last August, there has been endless speculation about the nomination of politicians who support Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to be Malaysia’s ambassadors as a reward.

The names of two MPs were frequently mentioned in the corridors of Parliament as potential envoys.

In March, Wisma Putra in a written reply in Parliament, said Padang Rengas MP Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz could not be made Malaysia’s ambassador to Switzerland as the country’s policy was to not receive sitting MPs as diplomats while Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman’s nomination as ambassador to Indonesia was still under consideration.

A few weeks ago Tajuddin confirmed that he had been invited to Istana Negara to receive his credentials along with four other career diplomats but the event was postponed as the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah was in hospital with a leg injury.

This week a news portal reported Tajuddin has been dropped as Malaysia’s envoy to Jakarta as only four diplomats were invited to the Palace to receive their credentials.

What went wrong? What were the considerations taken by this government in nominating Tajuddin? Is this the end of his nomination to Jakarta or will Putrajaya consider him for another posting elsewhere?

So many unanswered questions. The Prime Minister’s Office has been silent on this issue.

The Pasir Salak MP told the media this week he would abide by whatever decision is made by the government.

“If appointed, I will give my best service to benefit both countries,” he said.

In May, replying to criticisms over Tajuddin’s nomination, Ismail Sabri said Tajuddin is a seasoned politician and has vast experience.

As the noise over Tajuddin’s nomination grew louder after he criticised Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi over his removal as a member of the party’s supreme council, Ismail Sabri said Tajuddin’s name had been presented to the King and the suggestion to scrap the appointment was akin to questioning the powers of the King.

His July 2 remarks, which were widely reported by the media, caught the attention of many who wondered if Ismail Sabri may have got himself in trouble with Istana Negara.

Under previous administrations, the Foreign Ministry would consult the prime minister on its candidates (mostly career diplomats) to be the country’s representatives abroad.

After the prime minister gives his approval, Wisma Putra would inform the Public Service Depart-ment to sort out the terms of service for the ambassadors and, at the same time, the names would be submitted to His Majesty.

“There is that process of consultation before the names are presented to Istana Negara. The whole process can take some time before the receiving state gives its ‘agrement’ and only then would credentials be presented,” said an official.

(Agrement refers to the approval of a diplomatic representative by the state to which he or she is to be accredited.)

Wisma Putra would then issue a press statement announcing the country’s new ambassadors who have received their credentials at Istana Negara on the same day.

Under Ismail Sabri’s administration, by his own admission, the selection of Tajuddin to go to Indonesia was approved by the Cabinet and endorsed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. His name was submitted for consent in the last quarter of last year.

The credentials (watikah) from the King is a sacrosanct document. It bears the King’s signature to be presented by the Malaysian envoy to the leader of the receiving state, extending Malaysia’s desire to maintain a good relationship and understanding between the two countries.

An ambassador is the emissary of the Head of State, that is, the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong. Surely any name put forward to the King must be a suitable one. Nominating unsuitable candidates could also put the receiving government in a spot.

For the record, there were political appointments during previous administrations but, arguably, less controversial figures. They were reminded by Wisma Putra that they were no longer ministers or politicians but an ambassador and must know “their station”. Some of these political appointees went on to be good emissaries of the state and performed well.

There is also another type of political appointment, and these “ambassadors” have no need for consent from the King and no requirement for an agrement from the recipient party. They are Special Envoys to the Prime Minister and no one is quite sure what their terms of reference are or their KPI targets.

Another consideration in selecting an ambassador is the importance that Malaysia places on bilateral relations with the country it is sending its representative to. In the case of Indonesia, it is a very close and strategic neighbour and ranks very high up there. It is vice versa for Jakarta.

Sure, from time to time there will be hiccups over some bilateral issues but Indonesia would not have rejected any nomination from Malaysia as it considers us a “brotherly” country.

“Indonesia does not simply reject because, like Malaysia, bilateral ties are important,” said an official.

Will this government look for another candidate for Jakarta? Whatever the decision is, one thing this administration must bear in mind is that in the conduct of foreign affairs, priority must be given to bilateral relations and not just political considerations.