A tribute to a true diplomat, N Parameswaran

 

From M Santhananaban

I learned with much sadness of the rather sudden passing of a dear and well-respected former senior foreign service colleague, N Parameswaran, on Thursday.

In the past 14 years since relinquishing our posts as head of diplomatic missions overseas, Parameswaran and I had largely maintained spasmodic WhatsApp and phone contact.

-ADVERTISEMENT-

Ads by 

All the promised meetings between us did not materialise, partly on account of the protracted restrictions imposed to control the Covid-19 pandemic but also because he stayed in Johor while I lived in Kajang.

Opportunities to meet each other became rare as we did not share many common friends and our paths seldom crossed. But we shared deep concerns over the rapid downward slide of our country.

Whenever he encountered a piece of my writing on a matter of public interest, he would always write and compliment me and I did the same but — for good reason — did it less often.

Parameswaran was a straight shooter. He did not mince his words and often lambasted the authorities in a direct and critical manner while I chose the more obtuse, circumspect and less polemical approach.

Nevertheless, we shared the greatest sense of loyalty to our Malaysia, admired greatly key personalities of our foreign service like the late Ghazali Shafie, Zakaria Ali and Zainal Abidin Sulong, and some of our contemporaries, including Hasmy Agam, Renji Sathiah and Mokhtar Selat.

Parameswaran was one of the longest-serving diplomats in the foreign service and had worked on the Law of The Sea issues in the early days with then attorney-general Abdul Kadir Yusof, LC Vohrah and Azzat Kamaluddin.

He was one of the few officers who had special expertise in both multilateral and bilateral issues.

Parameswaran was a great connoisseur of art and music. Apart from having an impressive collection of artwork, he also had an interest in encouraging, inspiring and supporting artists, both in Malaysia and in the countries he had served abroad.

He was highly committed to training his junior colleagues to achieve the highest standards of diplomatic professionalism and expertise. He believed passionately that diplomats must be precise, positive and persevere to protect our country’s interests to the best of our ability.

For some of those who worked with him, this would have seemed a Herculean task, but he would not compromise on those high standards.

The country has lost a most loyal and patriotic civil servant, an able diplomat and a soul who lived and thought of art, with its budding, aspiring and accomplished sets of people, in the broadest and most inclusive way.

Most of all, he valued the friendships he had forged with people from all walks of life who lived in different parts of the planet.

He is survived by his daughter, Sharmin. - FMT

M Santhananaban, a retired ambassador who majored in history and Malay studies, has 45 years of experience in public service.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.