It should have been a private visit

A year ago, two Malaysian diplomats were recalled from the United Arab Emirates following protocol failure for the Prime Minister’s Dubai visit. Wisma Putra took the unusual step of issuing a three-page statement detailing how the officers failed to manage the necessary logistical and administrative arrangements for Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s official visit. No names were mentioned but there were enough red faces to go round from the fiasco.

One year on, a trip involving another Prime Minister created a ripple of a different kind. No one is blamed, so far, but it is enough to cause embarrassment for many parties – not only in Malaysia, unfortunately also perhaps in another country.