Wisma Putra adrift in Foreign Affairs

February 9, 2012

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

While you might have been trained upon a job in a Ghazali School of Diplomacy in a 1960s, Ambassador Dennis is of a some-more new vintage. He brings invaluable insights given he is a practitioner of a art of tact of a modern era.

Despite being from different times, he as good as you have been in agreement upon a need to arrest as good as fix a rot in Wisma Putra. He additionally proves my indicate which whilst times have changed, some-more quick paced as good as challenging, requiring new tools as good as uninformed as good as innovative approaches, tact itself has not altered given a 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 a national interest.

In essay two pieces of my own upon a subject, you have been accused of "running down" a Minister of Foreign Affairs as good as a Secretary-General, Wisma Putra by those who would rsther than attack a follower than listen to as good as act upon a message. you was merely expressing my views upon a sorry state of Wisma Putra today. you do not know both a Minister as good as his Secretary-General. you bear them no grudges.

Today, Ambassador Dennis ! in his e ssay most eloquently amplified my message, which is which " Wisma Putra is adrift given it lacks intellectual genius as good as cordial care to innovate as good as beam Malaysia's unfamiliar routine in a quick changing world".

A former senior envoy told me not long ago which Wisma Putra has been recruiting overseas educated Malaysians for a Foreign Service. Well as good as good, though if a organizational enlightenment breeds mediocrity, then these splendid people will either be digested into it, or they will quit a service. They will stay in a use usually if they can be nurtured in a perfectionist as good as intellectual challenging sourroundings by superb mentors, as good as have been rewarded for postulated tall peculiarity performance. Smart guys (and gals) do not humour fools easily. They need to be intellectually tested.

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

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

It would be useful if a Minister could additionally deliberate late Heads of Mission for their views as good as additionally tap their expertise. Former Ambassadors should never be authorised to fallow! given t heir vast as good as varied experiences as good as contacts have been invaluable in a plan of unfamiliar routine as good as a 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 well rapt by made during home hurdles to give unfamiliar routine a kind of critical courtesy it deserves upon autopilot, using upon yesterday's achievements as good as drawing impulse from an old-fashioned playbook.

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

New vital groupings similar to a G20 (which brings together pass grown as good as building countries) as good as a BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India as good as China), where Malaysia has no standing as good as small real influence, have moved to a forefront of ubiquitous affairs. At a same time, groupings similar to a Non-Aligned Movement as good as a Organisation of a Islamic Conference, which have been an constituent part of a unfamiliar routine configuration, have been less applicable today.

The tellurian troops balance is shifting as well. The United States, after over a decade of successive crusade as good as mercantile crisis, is carrying to recalibrate a tellurian posture. China, upon a alternative hand, co! ntinues a rapid ascendency towards superpower status. Sino-American adversary will fool around out most greatly in a Asia-Pacific segment in a entrance years with implications for all ASEAN countries.

The existing ASEAN-centred regional framework, which has been a buttress of a approach to regional security, could good be subsumed by wider trans-pacific political as good as mercantile imperatives. Further afield, a seismic changes right away underneath way in a Middle East demand, during a really least, a rethinking of a approach to which region.

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

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

Of course, there have been visits galore, stirring speeches as good as large conferences though they mean small but a clear context, well-articulated routine goals as good as a determined plan of action. Stock phrases similar to "enhancing relations" as good as "promoting peace as good as understanding" have been a bad substitute for critical policy.Unsurprisingly, notwithstanding carrying 106 missions abroad, Malaysia has steadily lost belligerent in conditions of ubiquitous apply oneself as good as care as good as you have been no longer punching upon top of a weight.

In his year-end examin! ation fi nal month, Canada's Foreign Minister, for example, singled out Indonesia as good as Vietnam as pass partners in a region. He is not alone in unaware Malaysia. It is no secret which Wisma Putra no longer has a genius to yield sound vital recommendation to a Government. Increasingly, a Government has turned to unfamiliar advisers as good as PR firms to conduct a unfamiliar agenda.

Key relationships 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 a US to effusive envoy Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis.

These developments usually increase a notice which Wisma Putra's purpose in a unfamiliar routine routine is right away mostly executive as good as pro forma. Indeed, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman's new New Year residence to unfamiliar heads of mission appears to confirm both a disconnect as good as a decrease in Wisma Putra.

What's a indicate in stressing a significance of mercantile diplomacy, for example, when Wisma Putra is a small spectator in a process? Wisma Putra has usually itself to censure for this sorry state of affairs, carrying finished small or zero to reverse a decrease in a professionalism notwithstanding all a writings upon a wall. It has become as well myopic, as well accustomed to mediocrity.

Its English denunciation skills, for instance, have been degraded to such a grade which a method was not long ago forced to desert a long-standing routine of using English in inner information exchnage as a way of honing denunciation skills. Can you even engage a universe during large 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 customarily bypass a method to get things done. One envoy called it a "black hole" where letters as good as alternative requests! go unan swered as good as where it is roughly unfit to get intelligent responses to important issues of concern. Even a own ambassadors often complain which they cannot get a decent as good as timely reply from conduct office.

Wisma Putra's acuity is additionally diminished both by a closed nature of a unfamiliar policy-making routine which is in place as good as a bad support it receives from a think-tanks as good as universities, most of which duty as small echo chambers rsther than than energetic centres for unfamiliar routine innovation as good as research.

One can usually goal which a upcoming ubiquitous choosing will result in a kind of stable political sourroundings which is needed for a some-more postulated concentration upon unfamiliar affairs.In a meantime, restoring Wisma Putra's professionalism is critical. Our country deserves a better unfamiliar service.

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