A Pakatan Rakyat Member of Parliament has urged Putrajaya to promote career diplomats instead of rewarding those who are loyal to the ruling party.
Pokok Sena MP Datuk Mahfuz Omar, who is also the PAS vice-president, said the government should treat diplomatic appointments seriously as those selected were representing the country.
“We are not sending these people out there just to have cake and tea. We should be sending people with brains and those who can do the job,” Mahfuz told reporters at the Parliament today.
It was reported that former Penang PKR leader Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohd Hashim was named Malaysia’s ambassador to Indonesia, in what is seen as reward for his support to Barisan Nasional in the 13th general election. Following Zahrain’s appointment, career diplomats have reportedly warned that relations with Jakarta must be handled delicately.
Zahrain was PKR’s Bayan Baru MP but quit the party in February 2010 after DAP criticised him for speaking out against Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
Following this, Zahrain was heavily featured on Umno-controlled private television station TV3, where he hit out at the Opposition especially PKR de-facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.
The Malaysian Insider had reported his appointment as ambassador to Indonesia and this was later confirmed by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman.
Earlier in Parliament, Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin created a stir in the Opposition ranks when he failed to mention Zahrain’s name as one of the ambassadors appointed by Putrajaya.
The deputy minister said among those appointed included former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar to France and former PPP vice-president Datin Seri Blanche O’Leary to Finland.
Mahfuz had then asked of Zahrain’s appointment: “So did he or did he not get appointed as Malaysian ambassador to Indonesia?”
The PAS MP said that there was no point sending a person who does not have credibility as an ambassador. – September 24, 2013.
