Wisma Putra tells of protocol failure for PM’s Dubai visit

 

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob pictured on his arrival in Dubai on March 29 for a visit to the United Arab Emirates. (Bernama pic)

PUTRAJAYA: Wisma Putra said today that two Malaysian diplomats in Dubai had failed to make proper arrangements when Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob made a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) late last month.

The prime minister was made to undergo a long wait for passport and immigration clearance at the airport, the foreign ministry said in a statement today, Bernama reported.
The ministry said the prime minister was also not provided with security coverage or a motorcade as was usual following standard procedures.

The confusion would not have occurred if the coordination was made earlier, as the UAE government had prepared all facilities for Ismail as head of government right until the end of his visit, the statement said.

The statement confirmed FMT’s report that the ambassador, Tarid Sufian, and consul-general Hasril Abdul Hamid, had been recalled from their posts.

However, the statement said the information from sources in FMT’s report was not from officials or parties directly involved in handling the visit.

“The move to recall the two officials is nothing out of the ordinary and was made through discussions with the relevant parties, including the Public Service Department,” the statement said.

“It was taken to protect interests in bilateral relations between Malaysia and the said countries and to ensure the competence of the public service,” the statement said.

Wisma Putra said the two officials had also failed to inform the foreign ministry about the World Government Summit (WGS) which was held during the Dubai Expo.

“Wisma Putra leadership only knew about the summit on March 30 through a different source.

“Should we have been informed of the summit, certainly efforts would have been made so that the prime minister could have delivered a speech at the programme,” the statement said.

However, Ismail attended the closing ceremony of the WGS at the invitation of UAE minister of state for international cooperation Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy.

The ministry said that when Ismail departed from Dubai, the UAE government provided a guard of honour at the airport, with a minister of state present to represent the UAE government.

Ismail was also invited to deliver the keynote address at next year’s WGS, which he accepted, the statement said.

Ismail visited the UAE from March 29-31, in conjunction with the Dubai Expo 2020. He held a meeting with his UAE counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is prime minister and vice-president of the UAE and the ruler of Dubai. - FMT