TO say that many were left baffled by Putrajaya’s plan to appoint Pasir Salak MP Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman as ambassador to Indonesia would be an understatement.
After all, the former Prasarana chairperson’s reputation is far from stellar, with his fellow MPs previously describing him as rude, uncouth, racist and sexist, among many others.
This was perhaps why Wisma Putra had recently come up with an explanation about the criteria that the Government looks at when considering a politician for ambassadorship.
While no names were mentioned, the explanation was in response to a parliamentary query by Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad, who asked Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah to explain the qualities that make one suitable for the job.
In a written parliamentary reply, it said that any candidate for mission heads – regardless of career diplomats or political appointees – must pass the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) scrutiny to ensure that they are free from any integrity-related issues.
For career diplomats, those eligible for consideration as ambassadors have usually served in the diplomatic corporation for 20 years and have been stationed in several countries before.
For political appointees, Wisma Putra clarified that among the considered factors is whether the candidate is capable of fostering close ties with the receiving country’s legislative body and understanding their political system.
On top of that, it is stipulated that a political appointment must have the collective agreement of the Cabinet before the nomination process can commence.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the idea of politicians becoming ambassadors was not an alien concept and had been in practice previously involving several MPs, former ministers and former senior government officials.
To recap, Tajuddin confirmed that he would be appointed Malaysia’s ambassador to Indonesia and was set to receive his appointment letter alongside four others from the Yand di-Pertuan Agong on June 20.
However, the ceremony was postponed as the king was hospitalised for a medical procedure.
When the investiture ceremony was rescheduled to last July 12, Tajuddin’s name was not on the list.
Tajuddin’s appointment had triggered a backlash with many MPs questioning his ability to act as a diplomat and urging Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to revoke his appointment.
On July 11, Free Malaysia Today reported that Tajuddin will not be Malaysia’s ambassador to Indonesia after Putrajaya decided to withdraw his nomination.
When contacted, a government source familiar with the matter confirmed to the online news portal that Putrajaya has had a “change of heart” over Tajuddin’s appointment.
He was also removed as Prasarana chairperson in May last year after his conduct during a press conference on an LRT train collision in Kuala Lumpur had drawn heavy criticism for his lack of empathy for the victims of the tragedy and his lack of professionalism when fielding questions from the press. – Aug 3, 2022
