PETALING JAYA: Two politically-appointed ambassadors who were told to relinquish their positions and return home following a shake-up in the Foreign Ministry have declined to do so.
Both have expressed their unwillingness to return home and indicated that they would continue in their present capacity for a while more.
A Wisma Putra source said the two ambassadors conveyed their intentions to the chief of the administrative staff of their respective embassies who handed them the order letter from the ministry.
“The matter has been conveyed to Wisma Putra,” the source said, adding that one of them was looking for another foreign posting while the other asked for his tenure to be extended until the end of his term.
The source said both refused to comply with the orders, using the excuse that the letter from the ministry was not signed by the minister but by a senior staff of Wisma Putra.
Their argument, said the source, was that they were appointed by the former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak based on the recommendations of the then foreign minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman.
“Therefore, they cannot accept the letter signed by a senior Wisma Putra officer.”
“However, the ministry insisted these two ambassadors, return immediately.”
The source said if both refused to follow the order, the ministry was looking at taking action, including suspending their salaries and allowances.
Attempts to get the ministry to comment on this issue was not successful.
The Star reported last Saturday that several Malaysian envoys found themselves in the firing line after the new government decided to axe political appointees in the foreign service and government-linked companies.
Among those in the foreign ministry’s list are Malaysian ambassador to Indonesia Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed Hashim, Malaysia’s first ambassador to the Vatican Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, ambassador to Finland Puan Sri Blanche O’Leary, Malaysian Friendship and Trade Centre in Taiwan president Datuk Adeline Leong and the High Commissioner to Brunei Datuk Ghulam Jelani Khanizaman.
The source said there were 15 designated ambassadors-in-waiting presently, all of who are career diplomats, to fill up the vacancies.
“These would-be ambassadors are experienced and qualified officers for the job. They are all ready for deployment,” the source said.
The source added that the ministry would be strict in appointing the heads of mission from now onwards.
“These posts would only be reserved for career diplomats and those who served the ministry. There will be no more political appointees to such positions,” said the source. – ANN
WE WILL RESIGN ACCORDING TO PROCEDURE: DBKL POLITICAL APPOINTEES
POLITICAL appointees who are members of the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) advisory board are willing to resign as board members, as long as it is done properly.
Board member and Bandar Tun Razak Umno chief Datuk Rizalman Mokhtar said he understood that when there was a new government, there would be some changes.
“We have no issues with resigning (from the board) if we are asked to do so,” he said, adding that the members’ tenure would expire on Nov 30, 2019.
“By publicly telling us to resign gives the impression that we are refusing, when in fact we were not asked to do so.”
Ng says he will serve the public until his term ends next year.
Khalid said there was no moral justification for the present board members to hold on to the posts, and they should make room for elected representatives.
He added that MPs were not part of the DBKL decision-making under the previous administration.
“Our appointments were done in a dignified manner and as per the rules, we appeal to the DBKL management to let us leave with dignity too,” Rizalman added.
Another board member, Seputeh Umno head Datuk Mustafa Kamal Mohd Yusoff, agreed with Rizalman.
“We can resign, no problem. But there should be a standard operating procedure.
“If there is no (official) directive, we will just wait for the tenure to end,” he said.
The board’s MCA representative Ng How Doo said he would continue to serve the public until his term ends next year, unless there were instructions from the FT Ministry with recommendation from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V for them to step down.
“As far as I know, DBKL has not received instructions from the ministry,” he said.
Ng said he didn’t mind being replaced if there were more experienced and qualified candidates.
StarMetro reported on June 25 that the Federal Government had directed DBKL to suspend all meetings with its advisory board members until further notice.
Kuala Lumpur mayor Tan Sri Mohd Amin Nordin Abd Aziz said DBKL had received the directive from the Prime Minister’s Department.
Amin Nordin said no members had resigned and he was waiting for further instructions.
The current board members, where a majority are political appointees, were appointed by the previous administration.
Based on the Rules and Regulations of the Advisory Board of the City of Kuala Lumpur 1989, the board must have 15 members, with the Federal Territories Ministry, Finance Ministry and the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) of the Prime Minister’s Department having one representative each, as well as two representatives from the Selangor government.
The remaining members must have knowledge of local government issues and are professionals with expertise on commerce or industries to represent the needs and interests of the local community.
The DBKL board currently has 13 people from the previous administration.
Out of the 13, eight are political appointees with four from Umno and one representative each from MCA, Gerakan, MIC and MyPPP.
The remaining members are one representative each from the Selangor government, EPU, the Federal Territories Ministry, Malaysian Institute of Architects and Real Estate and Housing Developers Association. – ANN
ANN
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