Two of three new envoys are Sarawakians
KUCHING: Two of the three newly appointed Malaysian envoys are Sarawakians.
They are Datuk Mohamad Sadik Kethergany who is bound for the United Kingdom and Westmoreland Edward Palon (Holy See).
The other - a non-Sarawakian - is Zainal Abidin Bakar who is bound for the Republic of Indonesia.
This was disclosed when the Yang di-Pertuan Agong AlSultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin AlMustafa Billah Shah presented instruments of appointment to these three Malaysians assigned to missions abroad in a ceremony held at the Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur last Thursday.
Mohamad Sadik, 59, was the Malaysian Consul-General in New York before being appointed as Malaysian Ambassador to Iran in 2009 and then to Hungary in 2014.
Westmoreland, 50, formerly served as the Malaysian ConsulGeneral in Melbourne.
Mohamad Sadik started his career as Administrative and Diplomatic Officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1989. He was the Director General at the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR) from 2017 prior to his appointment as the High Commissioner of Malaysia to the United Kingdom.
He previously served as Assistant Secretary (Administration) from 1989 until 1992, Assistant Secretary (Economy) from 1992 until 1994 and Second Secretary at the High Commission of Malaysia in Canberra, Australia from 1994 until 1996.
He then served as Assistant Secretary (East Europe) from 1996 until 1997, Chargé d'Affaires at the High Commission of Malaysia in Accra, Ghana from 1997 until 1999, Assistant Secretary (Policy Planning) from 1999 until 2000 and Principal Assistant Secretary (East Europe) from 2001 until 2004.
He had also served as the Consul General at the Consulate General of Malaysia in New York, United States of America from 2004 until 2008 and Undersecretary (Cambodia, Laos PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam) from 2008 until 2009. He was appointed as the Ambassador of Malaysia to the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2009 and Ambassador of Malaysia to Hungary in 2014.