Saifuddin: New ambassador to Vatican City nominated, awaiting approval from the Holy

PUTRAJAYA: A new Malaysian ambassador to the Vatican City has been finalised by Wisma Putra.

While declining to divulge further details, Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said the candidate nominated for the post, which has been vacant since June, is "a senior diplomat who is a Catholic."

The appointment for the incoming ambassador is now pending agreement from the Holy See, which can take weeks or months.

"We have already nominated someone from among the diplomatic corps, a Catholic, as the replacement.

."On our part, we have finalised the name and we have to send the CV (curriculum vitae) of this person to the Holy See because they need to agree to our nomination.

"It is only upon their agreement that we can announce who is our incoming ambassador to the Holy See," said Saifuddin when met during a private cruise lunch with 30 Malaysian youths here on Wednesday (Sept 19).

Former Sabah chief minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok was the first Malaysian to be made a resident ambassador to the Vatican in 2016.

He was among six politically-appointed envoys that were told to relinquish their positions and return home in June after the Pakatan Harapan government terminated their services.

Saifuddin said the matter of the new ambassador could be settled as quickly as two weeks or one month.

"But it all depends on how quickly the Holy See can decide," he said.

When asked if the candidate is from the peninsula, Sabah or Sarawak, Saifuddin declined to give more details.- Star