Six diplomats made to quit, including Kayveas' wife

PARLIAMENT | Putrajaya has terminated the services of six diplomats who were political appointees, Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said.

The six are Zahrain Mohamed Hashim (ambassador to Indonesia), Bernard Giluk Dompok (ambassador to Vatican City), Blanche O’Leary (ambassador to Finland), Ghulam Jelani Khanizam (high commissioner to Brunei), Adeline Leong (president of the Malaysian Friendship and Trade Centre in Taiwan) and Siow Chen Pin (consul-general to Kunming).

Zahrain is an Umno politician who had a short stint in PKR while Dompok was the former president of United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko), a former BN component party.

O’Leary is the wife of MyPPP president M Kayveas while Leong is a former Sabah-based civil servant. Siow is an MCA politician.

Saifuddin said two other political appointees - Zulhasnan Rafique and Hasan Malek, both Umno politicians - had quit their positions as the ambassadors to the US and Cambodia respectively earlier this year.

The minister said this in response to a question from Labis MP Pang Hock Leong. -Mkini