THE Indonesian government’s foreign affairs ministry has said that it will not meddle in the internal affairs of Malaysia with regards to the appointment of Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman as the ambassador.
This is according to a report in Indonesian news portal Tempo ministry spokesperson Teuku Faizasyah who stressed that the appointment was the prerogative of the Malaysian Government and that Indonesia wished to stay out of Malaysia’s internal politics.
“We are aware of the numerous commentaries in the local media concerning the political dynamics of Malaysia’s domestic politics. We should not get involved,” he told Tempo on Thursday (May 19).
Faizasyah further noted that the appointment of an ambassador is the prerogative of the governments that send their envoys who are selected through the internal processes of their respective countries.
He also said that the Indonesian government will normally be asked for approval of those nominated by countries sending them.
“In Indonesia, the appointment of ambassadors to other countries has an additional process which comes in the form of a discussion in Parliament.”
The confirmation of Tajuddin’s appointment as Malaysian ambassador to Indonesia on Wednesday (May 18) had sparked a heated debate on both sides of the political divide with many calling for his appointment to be rescinded.
Tajuddin had previously courted controversy in May 2021 for his mishandling of the head-on collision of two LRT trains near KLCC that had injured over 200 passengers.
Tajuddin’s description of the collision as “two trains kissing each other” had drawn public ire and he heavily criticised for his lack of empathy for the victims of the tragedy.
This had then led to his dismissal as chairperson of the Government-owned Prasarana Malaysia Bhd, the wholly-owned unit of the Ministry of Finance Inc. that controls, owns and operates the urban rail services in Kuala Lumpur which include three LRT networks, the KL monorail and mass rapid transit lines. – May 20, 2022
