Buzz Sociopolitics Malaysia: Wisma Putra: A Wander-ful service for Travellers?

Wisma Putra: A Wander-ful service for Travellers?

January 28, 2012

Comment:

The essay by Tan Sri Mohd Radzi Abd Rahman (below) is shallow as well as it shows his lack of understanding about what Wisma Putra should be about. That is disappointing since he is a Secretary-General whose pursuit is to yield much indispensable strategic meditative in a shaping of Malaysian unfamiliar routine as well as a control of a diplomacy.

The consular use is a teenager aspect of a Malaysian Foreign Office. As a former Foreign Service Officer underneath a Late (Tun) Ghazalie Shafie, we know which Wisma Putra is about critical open tact as well as projecting as well as representing Malaysia's seductiveness to a rest of a world. Certainly, it is not a transport agency specialising in a care of roving VIPs as well as a arising visas for visitors to Malaysia!

When we was in Phnom Penh in a early 1990s, we was absolved to declare how Malaysian diplomats underneath a Ambassador Dato' Deva Ridzam's care worked to plan a interests in Cambodia. Our goal was involved in advising Malaysian blurb operation investors, as well as aiding then a frail supervision in genius building, providing invaluable intelligence to a Malaysian Government upon political as well as mercantile developments in a horde country, as well as networking with horde nation leaders as well as officials as well as members of a political opposition.

The Malaysians visiting Cambodia sought utilitarian recommendation from a Ambassador as well as his senior staff. we was a declare to instances when Dato Deva intervened to safeguard which Malaysians who got upon a wrong side of a Cambodian law were since a satisfactory treatment. we am, therefore, astounded to review which "many Malaysians abroad do not see a need to hit a embassy unless they have been in trouble".

Does this Secr! etary-Ge neral not understand which Malaysians do hit embassy officials when they have been confident which they can get great blurb as well as personal advice, not since it has a "wander-ful use for travelers." If Malaysians equivocate a embassy, it is since they do not believe which a goal can assistance them.

Maybe, Tan Sri Radzi is right away confirming a reality which Wisma Putra is right away reduced to a consular office, post bureau as well as a VIP transport agency, all rolled in to a single combination whole, staffed by over paid, common as well as incompetent personnel. And which is indeed a great pity.

The essay additionally reflects a intellectual quality of this top Wisma Putra official. we have yet to see a critical essay from him about a unfamiliar routine or attend to or listen to of him articulate during any open forum upon Malaysia's diplomacy. That is not surprising possibly since all he can do is to write an essay upon consular administration, which should posted upon a Wisma Putra website, or since to BERNAMA for wide coverage.

I have additionally not listened a Foreign Minister, Anifah Aman, speaking in Parliament even with rebuilt answers upon unfamiliar routine issues. It is an open secret which a Foreign Minister is afraid to face his adversaries in Dewan Rakyat. It is indeed unfortunate which Wisma Putra is no longer what it was when a Late Tun Ghazalie Shafie was a Permanent Secretary as well as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Today, in open diplomacy, Malaysia is punching below a weight. Our diplomats can neither write nor talk English, a language of international tact as well as commerce. During a 1960s, a diplomats were respected by their colleagues in a region as well as elsewhere for their capability to draft treaties, com! muniques . as well as press releases.Din Merican

A 'wander-ful' use for travellers

AT YOUR SERVICE
By Tan Sri Mohd Radzi Abd Rahman

Although most Malaysians abroad do not see a need to hit a embassy unless they have been in trouble, a Foreign Ministry's consular use is always ready to help.THE open face of a Foreign Affairs Ministry is a consular service. This is an critical arm of a method which Malaysians have been familiar with.In a past year alone, around 15 to twenty-five million people entered as well as left a country. With a augmenting series of Malaysians roving abroad as well as unfamiliar expatriates creation Malaysia their proxy home, consular feat has right away turn a single of a yardsticks to measure a efficacy of a Foreign Service smoothness system.

Unlike a economic, political, bilateral as well as multilateral tact a Malaysian shrewd chairman is familiar with, consular use is a "citizen service" which deals directly with a ordinary people, who have been treated as critical clients.

The duty of a consular bureau during Wisma Putra, or during a twenty-one Malaysian consulates as well as 81 embassies abroad, is guided by a Vienna Convention upon Consular Relations 1963.

The consular functions embody notary duties, attestation of documents, estimate certificates of great conduct, bieing born registration, fluctuating assistance to vessels as well as aircraft, as well as arising of passports, transport papers as well as visas to persons wishing to transport to Malaysia.

Paramount between these functions is aiding a nationals within boundary permitted by international law.

To most Malaysian diasporas, tourists as well as students studying abroad, a embassy is a consular office, as well as zero more. The alternative functions of a embassy which understanding with a absolved entities such as a palace, president's office, ministries or people holding high! appoint ments have been frequency known to them.

In fact, Malaysians roving or vital abroad do not see a significance of coming in hit with a embassy unless out of necessity such as to register a newborn, a renovation of passports, or when requiring puncture assistance such as during a tsunami, a Bali bombings, 9/11, a SARS widespread crisis of 2003 or a 2010 volcanic eruption in Iceland which put air transport throughout Europe during a standstill.

A great series of Malaysians additionally crop up during a consulate or a embassy when they have been in distress, in cases where their passports, air tickets as well as income have been stolen or mislaid as well as they have been stranded with no change of clothes.

When this happens, a single has to determine with Paul Theroux which transport is glamorous usually in retrospect. Losing a pass through theft, loosening or disasters is a single of a inconveniences for Malaysians when abroad.

In a box of a mislaid passport, a consulate or embassy is not authorised to emanate a brand brand new pass to reinstate a mislaid one; it can emanate an puncture certificate, a temporary, one-way transport request enabling a single to transport home, though not current to be used to transport to alternative countries.

All Malaysian embassies as well as consulates can promote a renovation of a Malaysian passport, though not all of them can emanate a brand brand new Malaysian passport.

Where it is necessary for a embassy or consulate to brazen an duplicate for renovation or for a brand brand new Malaysian pass behind to a Immigration Department in Malaysia, a routine will inevitably take longer.

Within a bounds of a consular functions, those who come for assistance have been expected to be served with a top level of professionalism.

The consular bureau can assist in notifying next-of-kin in a eventuality a Malaysian is injured, arrested or detained.

It can communicate with a family or friends to request for puncture repat! riation funds or arrange for a return of a stays of a defunct to Malaysia.

The consular military officer additionally identifies bodies during a mortuary, visits those incarcerated or detained should there be a request from them to do so as well as safeguard which due routine of a law is accorded to them in a nation they have been arrested or detained.

To a Malaysian embassies abroad, a hit with Malaysian nationals is a pleasant experience. Especially during a embassies which have been located where frequency any Malaysian travels, it is a pleasure for a Malaysian shrewd chairman to encounter an additional fellow citizen.

With a Government's diaspora routine in place, a accessible hit with Malaysians working abroad is additionally useful. These people describe stories of their businesses, their imagination as well as a fascinating researches they have been tasked to lift out during their brand brand new place of work.

With affordable travel, a universe has turn a smaller place.This equates to a consular offices have to be an effective problem-solver. In carrying out this task, a Malaysian shrewd chairman is infrequently swayed by sympathy rsther than than logic.

On a single occasion, a stranded Malaysian lady who was back-packing around Europe was "adopted" by a embassy staff with each a single taking turns to yield her with food whilst watchful for her family to send over income for her return sheet home.

Upon reaching home, she sent a postcard to a embassy thanking them for a "five-star hotel" use as well as a glorious dishes as well as warm clothes. Such instances have been an exception rsther than than a rule.

There is usually so much a consular bureau can do. Some consular offices have been under-staffed as well as when incompetent to encounter a expectations of a clients, they have been sternly criticised as well as infrequently unfortunate stories get to a press.

What is helpful for a Malaysian caucasian tribe is to know what it takes to be in an add! itional country.

They should come prepared, take heedfulness to know whether a visa is compulsory to come in a country, safeguard which their passports surpass a six-month validity, bring enough money, have a transport as well as medical word ready, check websites of embassies as well as consulates in a nation they have been roving as well as as a prevision in box of puncture or natural disaster register themselves during a embassy possibly by e-mail or in person.

The poet Saadi is apt when he said which a caucasian tribe though regard is a bird though wings. As a significant writer to open diplomacy, a consular bureau assumes an critical purpose in current-day tact though when Malaysians work in tandem with them, a end-product benefits not usually themselves though additionally their nation as well as not all those who ramble have been mislaid (J.R.R. Tolkien).