Buzz Sociopolitics Malaysia: Wisma Putra adrift in Foreign Affairs

Wisma Putra adrift in Foreign Affairs

February 9, 2012

Comment: I examination AmbassadorDennis Ignatiuus' essay in the Star as good as feel that it should be examination by all Malaysians. The essay (below) is dispassionate, good thought out, as good as succinct. you congratulate the Ambassador for his forthright views.

While you may have been trained upon the job in the Ghazalie School of Diplomacy in the 1960s, Ambassador Dennis of the some-more recent vintage. He brings utilitarian insights given he is the practioner of the art of tact of the modern era.

Despite being from different times, he as good as you have been in agreement upon the need to detain as good as fix the rot in Wisma Putra. He additionally proves my indicate which whilst times have changed, some-more quick paced as good as challenging, requiring brand new tools as good as uninformed as good as innovative approaches, tact itself has not altered given the days of Niccolo Machiavelli,Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, Otto von Bismarck as good as Lord Castlereagh. As Tun Ghazali Shafie said, it is about creation friends as good as representing the national interest.

In essay dual pieces of my own upon the subject, you have been indicted of "running down" the Minister of Foreign Affairs as good as the Secretary-General, Wisma Putra by those who would rather attack the messenger than attend to as good as action upon the message. you was merely expressing my views upon the contemptible state of Wisma Putra today. you do not know both the Minister as good as his Secretary-General. you bear them no grudges.

To! day, Amb assador Dennis in his essay most eloquently amplified my message, which is which " Wisma Putra is adrift because it lacks egghead genius as good as enlightened care to innovate as good as beam Malaysia's unfamiliar routine in the quick becoming different world".

A former senior envoy told me not long ago which Wisma Putra has been recruiting abroad educated Malaysians for the Foreign Ministry. Well as good as good, though if the organizational enlightenment breeds mediocrity, afterwards these bright people will either be assimiliated in to it, or they will give up the service. They will stay in the use usually if they can be nurtured in the perfectionist as good as egghead severe sourroundings by outstanding mentors, as good as have been rewarded for postulated high peculiarity performance. Smart guys (and gals) don't humour fools easily.

Our Prime Minister should note you consider this nuanced summary is dictated for him from the article: "If Malaysia is to successfully navigate the rising geopolitical construct, you will need uninformed vital vision as good as an innovative as good as cutting-edge unfamiliar use to go with it.Unfortunately, however, Malaysia appears to be as good deeply rapt by finished at home hurdles to give unfamiliar routine the kind of vicious courtesy it deserves. Coping with the ubiquitous fallout from finished at home events has additionally been the outrageous distraction." (Dennis Ignatiuus).

For his part, Minister Anifah Aman should urgently assemble the Heads of Mission discussion in Kuala Lumpur to discuss, between alternative issues, what can be finished in the short tenure as good as long tenure to understanding with the Wisma Putra conundrum.

It would be utilitarian he could additionally deliberate late Heads of Mission for their views as good as additionally daub their expertise. Former Ambassadors should never authorised! to idle given their vast practice as good as contacts have been utilitarian in the formulation of unfamiliar routine as good as the conduct of diplomacy.Din Merican

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www.thestar.com.my (February 9, 2012)

Wisma Putra adrift in Foreign Affairs

by Ambassador Dennis Ignatiuus

Malaysia appears to be as good rapt by finished at home hurdles to give unfamiliar routine the kind of vicious courtesy it deserves upon autopilot, running upon yesterday's achievements as good as drawing inspiration from an old-fashioned playbook.

THERE is no disbelief which Malaysia, similar to alternative countries in the region, right away finds itself in the severe tellurian as good as regional environment. While most has been pronounced about the impact of the tellurian mercantile downturn upon Malaysia, small courtesy has been given to the appearing geopolitical hurdles you face.

New vital groupings similar to the G20 (which brings together pass grown as good as developing countries) as good as the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India as good as China), where Malaysia has no station as good as small genuine influence, have moved to the forefront of ubiquitous affairs. At the same time, groupings similar to the Non-Aligned Movement as good as the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, which have been an integral partial of the unfamiliar routine configuration, have been reduction relevant today.

The tellurian troops change is changeable as well. The United States, after over the decade of continuous warfare as good as mercantile crisis, is carrying to recalibrate the tellurian posture. China, up! on the a lternative hand, continues the rapid ascendency towards superpower status. Sino-American rivalry will fool around out most greatly in the Asia-Pacific segment in the coming years with implications for all ASEAN countries.

The existing ASEAN-centred regional framework, which has been the mainstay of the proceed to regional security, could good be subsumed by wider trans-pacific domestic as good as mercantile imperatives. Further afield, the seismic changes right away under approach in the Middle East demand, at the very least, the rethinking of the proceed to which region.

If Malaysia is to successfully navigate the rising geopolitical construct, you will need uninformed vital vision as good as an innovative as good as cutting-edge unfamiliar use to go with it.Unfortunately, however, Malaysia appears to be as good deeply rapt by finished at home hurdles to give unfamiliar routine the kind of vicious courtesy it deserves. Coping with the ubiquitous fallout from finished at home events has additionally been the outrageous distraction.

There has not been the vicious unfamiliar routine examination given the early years of the Mahathir administration department when Malaysia finished the wilful shift towards non-alignment as good as greater South-South cooperation. We crop up to be upon autopilot now, running upon yesterday's achievements as good as drawing inspiration from an old-fashioned playbook. In short, you have been adrift in capricious waters.

Of course, there have been visits galore, stirring speeches as good as big conferences though they mean small but the clear context, well-articulated routine goals as good as the determined plan of action. Stock phrases similar to "enhancing relations" as good as "promoting assent as good as understanding" have been the bad substitute for vicious policy.Unsurprisingly, despite carrying 106 missions abroad, Malaysia has steadily lost ground in conditions of ubiquitous apply oneself as good as care as good as you have been no longer pun! ching ab ove the weight.

In his year-end examination final month, Canada's Foreign Minister, for example, singled out Indonesia as good as Vietnam as pass partners in the region. He is not alone in overlooking Malaysia. It is no secret which Wisma Putra no longer has the genius to provide receptive to advice vital advice to the Government. Increasingly, the Government has turned to unfamiliar advisers as good as PR firms to conduct the unfamiliar agenda.

Key relations have additionally been effectively hived off from Wisma Putra as good as handed out to special ministerial-level "envoy-politicians" China to Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting, India to Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, as good as right away the US to effusive envoy Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis.

These developments usually increase the notice which Wisma Putra's role in the unfamiliar routine routine is right away largely administrative as good as pro forma. Indeed, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman's recent New Year address to unfamiliar heads of mission appears to confirm both the undo as good as the decrease in Wisma Putra.

What's the indicate in stressing the importance of mercantile diplomacy, for example, when Wisma Putra is the small spectator in the process? Wisma Putra has usually itself to censure for this contemptible state of affairs, carrying finished small or nothing to reverse the decrease in the professionalism despite all the papers upon the wall. It has become as good myopic, as good accustomed to mediocrity.

Its English denunciation skills, for instance, have been degraded to such the grade which the method was not long ago forced to abandon the long-standing routine of regulating English in inner information exchnage as the approach of honing denunciation skills. Can you even rivet the universe at vast but proper information exchnage skills?

It is additionally usual believe which unfamiliar missions in Malaysia have meagre apply oneself for Wisma Putra's professionalism as good as routinely bypass the! method to get things done. One envoy called it the "black hole" where letters as good as alternative requests go unanswered as good as where it is roughly impossible to get smart responses to vicious issues of concern. Even the own ambassadors mostly complain which they cannot get the decent as good as timely reply from conduct office.

Wisma Putra's acuity is additionally discontinued both by the sealed nature of the unfamiliar policy-making routine which is in place as good as the bad await it receives from the think-tanks as good as universities, most of which function as small relate chambers rather than energetic centres for unfamiliar routine creation as good as research.

One can usually hope which the upcoming ubiquitous election will result in the kind of fast domestic sourroundings which is indispensable for the some-more postulated focus upon unfamiliar affairs.In the meantime, restoring Wisma Putra's professionalism is critical. Our nation deserves the better unfamiliar service.