Gloria ready for diplomatic duty in Nigeria
KUCHING: Incoming Malaysian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gloria Corina Peter Tiwet is all geared up for the tasks ahead awaiting her at the West African country.
She said her appointment was not just as a Malaysian envoy to Nigeria, but also to six other countries in the region namely Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Democratic Republic of Africa.
“I will do my best to strengthen bilateral ties between Malaysia and Nigeria, and six other countries which my post is accredited to,” she said when met after she paid a courtesy call on Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research Dato Sri Michael Manyin at his office here yesterday.
Gloria, 45, is the first Dayak woman, and the second Bidayuh, to be appointed a Malaysian envoy. She was one of five people who received instruments of appointment as Malaysian envoys from Yang di- Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V at Istana Negara on Feb 12. She is still director of Sarawak regional office of the Foreign Ministry, and is making courtesy calls on state and federal leaders prior to leaving for Nigeria.
She was director of Asean Main Logistics Secretariat of the Foreign Ministry from 2015 to 2016, and had also served in various capacities in Sweden, Argentina and Chile. She said she would be leaving for Kuala Lumpur on April 4 and would arrive in Abudja, Nigeria two days later.
In Nigeria, she will report for duty at the Malaysian High Commission office in Abudja and will have an appointment with Nigeria’s president to present her credentials.
“I was informed I will be the first Malaysian woman to be appointed envoy there. The post has been vacant since October last year. This will be my first posting to Africa. Nigeria will be a challenging country due to its current situation. Nevertheless, I will do my best to serve our country and assess the situation for those wanting to venture into Nigeria,” said the former student of St Teresa’s School Kuching.
Meanwhile, the meeting with Manyin yesterday was one of several courtesy calls made on leaders by Gloria before she departs for Nigeria.
She had earlier yesterday met Minister of Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.
On Monday morning, she paid a courtesy call on Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg at Wisma Bapa Malaysia.
A farewell gathering and special thanksgiving mass was held for her at her village – Kampung Tanjung Poting, Singai, on March 3.
Gloria is known among the Bidayuh community for her voluntary work through Dayak Bidayuh National Association ( DBNA) and Bidayuh Graduates Association ( BGA).