6 diplomats axed following GE14

KUALA LUMPUR: Six diplomats, seen as the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) administration’s political appointees, were axed on June 30.

This was confirmed in a written reply by Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah to Pang Hok Liong (PH-Labis) dated June 30.

“Following an order issued by the government, six

Malaysian envoys (political appointees) had their service contracts terminated on June 30.

“They are Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed Hashim (ambassador to Indonesia), Tan Sri Bernard Giluk Dompok (ambassador to the Vatican City), Datuk Ghulam Jelani Khanizam (High Commissioner to Brunei), Puan Seri Blance O’lbery (ambassador to Finland), Datuk Adeline Leong (president of the Malaysian Friendship and Trade Centre in Taipei, Taiwan) and Datuk Siow Chen Pin (Consul-General in Kunming, China.”

He said Tan Sri Dr Zulhasnan Rafique stepped down as ambassador to the United States on April 23 and that Datuk Hasan Malek ended his service as ambassador to Cambodia on March 31.

Pang had asked Saifuddin to state the names, countries and number of Malaysia’s ambassadors who had resigned.

Zahrain, who had a short stint in PKR before joining Umno, was a former member of parliament for Bayan Baru and appointed as an envoy to Indonesia in October 2013.

Dompok used to be president of the United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation, a former BN component party.

Olbery is the wife of People’s Progressive Party president Tan Sri M. Kayveas.

Leong was a civil servant based in Sabah.

Siow, who was an MCA member, used to be Chennah assemblyman.

It was reported that following the 14th General Election, the Pakatan Harapan administration sought to remove BN political appointees from governmentlinked companies and statutory bodies.

Following an order issued by the government, six Malaysian envoys (political appointees) had their service contracts terminated on June 30. DATUK SAIFUDDIN ABDULLAH

Foreign affairs minister